Everyone Should Have A Living Will And A Healthcare Power of Attorey

I recently published a blog post on the importance of having a will. On a related note, I feel that it is just as important to remind everyone that you should also have a healthcare power of attorney and a living will. Below I will explain in basic terms what the two documents are and why you should have them in place.

A healthcare power of attorney, also known as a durable power of attorney for health care decisions (or choices), allows you to appoint an individual to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to make or communicate your own wishes. It will also allow you to express your desire to be an organ and/or tissue donor if you choose to do so. You may also use this document to appoint a back-up individual(s) to make your healthcare decisions for you if the first individual cannot serve as your agent for any reason.

A living will declaration, also known as a healthcare choices directive, allows you to express your healthcare desires if you are unable to communicate them. This document is most commonly used to express your desire to not have your dying artificially prolonged. Specifically, it often states that if you have an incurable injury, disease, or illness certified to be a terminal condition by two (or one) physician(s) who have personally examined you, and the physicians have determined that your death will occur whether or not life-sustaining procedures are utilized and where the application of life-sustaining procedures would serve only to artificially prolong the dying process, you would direct that such procedures be withheld or withdrawn, and that you be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to provide you with comfort care. You may also direct that specifically listed treatments be withheld or withdrawn.

Everyone should have both a healthcare power of attorney and a living will in place. A healthcare power of attorney will allow you to appoint an individual or individuals to make your healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to do so and a living will allows you to express your wishes in written format.

I have significant experience in preparing both of these documents for individuals in Kansas and Missouri. I can prepare both of these documents for you at a low, flat fee and I offer a free initial consultation. Please leave any questions or comments below.