Once you`ve talked to your doctor and have an idea of the types of decisions that might be coming in the future and that you`d like to have as an agent, if you want one, the next step is to fill out the legal forms that list your wishes. A lawyer can help, but it doesn`t have to. When you decide to hire a lawyer, don`t rely on them to help you understand the different medical treatments. Start the planning process by talking to your doctor. What if you don`t have a living will or haven`t made plans and are no longer able to speak for yourself? In such cases, the state in which you live will hire someone to make medical decisions on your behalf. It will likely be your spouse, your parents if they are available, or your children when they are adults. If you don`t have family members, the state will choose someone to represent your best interests. Many states have their own pension forms. Your local aging agency can help you find the right forms. You can find your regional organization`s phone number by calling the toll-free seniors` care locator at 1-800-677-1116 or by visiting eldercare.acl.gov. You may want to create a card that you can carry in your wallet indicating that you have a living will and where it is kept.
Here is an example of the wallet card offered by the American Hospital Association. You may want to print it out to fill in and take with you. A PDF can be found online (PDF, 40 KB). Planning for care in advance is about learning more about the types of decisions that may need to be made, considering those decisions in advance, and then informing others – your family and health care providers – of your preferences. These preferences are often included in a living will, a legal document that only comes into effect when you are unable to work and are unable to speak for yourself. This can be the result of a serious illness or injury, regardless of your age. This helps others know what kind of medical care you want. Before creating a patient prescription, you should talk to your health care provider, loved ones, and at least one person you may want to choose as your agent or representative (alternate decision-maker). Talk to them about your situation, desires, and fears, as they are the ones who will help you put your wishes into practice if you are unable to do so.
Living wills are legal documents that are filled in advance of the need for important medical decisions to indicate which health care options are or may not be desired now or in the future, and to designate one or more people to speak on behalf of the patient when the patient cannot speak for themselves. There are differences in living will laws by state. Many states now have doctor prescriptions for life-sustaining treatment (POLST), medical prescriptions for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST), medical prescriptions for scope of treatment (MOST), doctor`s prescription for scope of treatment (POST), no resuscitate prescription/clinician prescriptions for life-sustaining treatment (DNR/COLST), Transportable Physician Prescriptions for Patient Preferences (TPOPP) or similar guidelines that address the most important points of the living will in the form of a medical prescription put. [1] [2] [3] For the sake of brevity, the term POLST applies to all these variations later in the article. Some people spend a lot of time in more than one state – for example, visiting children and grandchildren. If this is your situation, you should prepare a living will with forms for each state – and also keep a copy at each location. Provide copies of your living will to your health care representative and representative. Give your doctor a copy of your medical records. Tell your immediate family members and friends where you keep a copy. If you need to go to the hospital, give staff a copy that you can include in your records.
Since you may be able to change your advance directive in the future, it`s a good idea to keep track of who receives a copy. A living will is a legal document that defines for healthcare professionals the type of medical treatment, if any, that you want to prolong your life if an undiagnosed accident or life-threatening illness occurs and you are unable to communicate your wishes. A living will only comes into effect when you are close to death. All adults should have a living will. At some point, most clinicians encounter patients with a living will, which usually includes specific instructions on the course of treatment that the health care provider should follow. In some cases, a living will may prohibit financially burdensome medical treatment. It can also express the patient`s wishes regarding the consumption of food and water provided by feeding tubes or intravenous fluids. A living will is only used if the person is unable to give or refuse informed consent due to incapacity for work. A living will can be specific or very general. [7] [8] [9] It is important to note that there is no living will to deny care to patients, and that comfort care and pain treatment continue to be offered, particularly for terminally ill patients. Attempts at comfort are always appropriate.
Once you`ve completed your living will, talk to your agent, loved ones, and doctor about your decisions to explain what you decided. This way, they won`t be surprised by your wishes in case of an emergency. Some states have records that can store your living will for quick access by health care providers, your agent, and anyone else you`ve given permission to. Private companies also store your advance directive. There may be a fee to store your form in a registry. If you store your advance directive in a registry and make changes later, you must replace the original with the updated version in the registry. Organ and tissue donations can be included in your living will. Many states also offer organ donor cards or add notes to your driver`s license. A medical or medical power of attorney is a type of living will in which you designate a person who will make decisions for you if you are unable to do so. In some states, this directive may also be called a continuing power of attorney for health care or an authorized representative for health care. A living will is a written legal document that describes the medical treatments you want to keep alive and don`t want, as well as your preferences for other medical choices such as pain management or organ donation. Always remember: A living will is only used when you are in danger of dying and you need certain emergency or special measures to keep you alive, but you are unable to make these decisions on your own.
With a living will, you can announce your wishes for medical treatment. Many people are not prepared to face the legal and financial consequences of a serious illness like Alzheimer`s. Planning ahead can help people with Alzheimer`s disease and their families clarify their desires and make informed decisions about health care and financial arrangements. It is difficult to predict the future with certainty. You may never be faced with a medical situation where you are unable to speak for yourself and make your desires known. But a living will can give you and your loved ones some peace of mind. It can be helpful to have conversations with people around you about how you want to be treated in the event of a medical emergency or at the end of life.