4 Elements of an Advance Medical Directive to Consider

If you've been diagnosed with a long-term illness, then you will need to take care of a lot of elements as you cope with the new reality. Not only do you have to take care of your health and your mind, but you will need to plan for your future as well. An estate lawyer can help you set up a living will in case the illness takes a turn for the worse.

Through these legal documents, you will have more control over your decisions, even if your health deteriorates. One element of a legal will to consider is an advance medical directive. These official documents allow you to make decisions about your health ahead of time, so you don't run into any issues in the future.

Learn some of the elements that are a part of an advance medical directive and the ways an estate lawyer can help enforce those elements on your behalf.

1. Medical Care Directives

In the event that you are incapable of making medical decisions at any point, medical care professionals can turn to your advanced medical directive to find out more information on any directives that you indicate. The directives could involve the decision to seek in-home care or to go to a specific hospital.

A lawyer will help you word these directives so they are clear and follow exactly what you seek in the event of a medical emergency. By law, doctors and other health professionals must follow these directives as much as possible. Not only does your lawyer keep a copy of the document, but it will get filed with a directory as well so the information is easy to track.

2. Prolonged Treatments

If your long-term illness takes a turn for the worse, then you have the opportunity on how you want to proceed with treatment. For example, you could either opt in or opt out for long-term treatment options that include tube feeding, IV fluids, connections to breathing machines, or treatments like kidney dialysis.

If you opt out of any of those treatments, then medical professionals will simply provide pain medication to help keep you comfortable as needed. Once you make this decision, you can contact a lawyer and adjust your decision at any time. As long as you are of able state of mind, then you can change your treatments to how you feel in the moment.

3. Health Decision Agent

Some of the medical decisions you will need may be unpredictable or not covered in an advance medical directive. To help make decisions on your behalf, you have the opportunity to assign a health decision agent. This person can be anyone close to you in your life. You don't have to choose someone who is a direct relative.

When you decide on a health decision agent, a lawyer will help set up the proper paperwork and ensure the person gets approved for the process. As you go through medical issues, they can help represent your wishes and make the best decisions possible for you.

4. Body Donations

As part of an advance medical directive, you have the opportunity to choose what happens with your body in case of your passing. You will have multiple body donations that a lawyer can file for you. For example, you could donate body parts and organs to others who seek transplants. The organs may include hearts, eyes, or tissue.

If you don't want to donate to others for transplants, then you could donate the whole body for research purposes and have the opportunity to help any research causes for the long-term illness you have gone through. You also have the right to deny any of these donations and have your body prepared for cremation or burial.

A lawyer will ensure your wishes are followed through with and fit what you seek.

Contact us at Gayheart & Willis P.C. for all of your estate planning needs. We can guide you through the advance medical directive here in Virginia and ensure everything you seek is properly set up for the future.