Do I Need a Health Care Directive?
No one likes to consider their end-of-life care or what they would do when confronted with critical illness or injury. However, planning ahead and creating a health care directive for these situations can save you and your loved ones considerable stress, anxiety, and fear. Also known as an advanced healthcare directive, a health care directive provides clear instructions on your medical wishes, and an experienced estate planning attorney can help draft a health care directive that perfectly fits your needs. To learn more about the benefits of a health care directive, talk to the knowledgeable estate planning attorneys at The Law Offices of Omar Gastelum & Associates in Los Angeles today to schedule a consultation.
When Should I Create a Health Care Directive?
Many people believe that they do not need a health care directive until they reach an advanced age, but in fact, the sooner you create a health care directive, the better for you and your family. A health care directive can provide instructions on your wishes for end of life and palliative care in your twilight years, but it can also direct medical decisions in other situations. An accident or illness can happen at any time, and there may be situations in which you are so ill or injured that you are unable to communicate your healthcare wishes to medical professionals. Without a health care directive, it is up to your family members to decide what they believe is in your best interest, and you would have no say in that decision making. Drafting a health care directive at a younger age can account for these scenarios, which is why you should consider creating one as soon as possible.
What Can be Included in a Health Care Directive?
A health care directive can include many different decisions regarding your medical care that healthcare professionals will be bound to follow after an accident, illness, injury, or in any other life-or-death situation. It can include everything from your wishes about certain treatments and medications to what life saving procedures you do and do not want. A health care directive can also provide instructions on palliative end-of-life care and any other medical wishes you deem pertinent in situations in which you are unable to communicate those wishes yourself. Some of the most common elements of health care directives include the following:
- Pain management and relief,
- Surgeries and other treatments,
- Use of breathing ventilator and feeding tube,
- Whether or not to resuscitate,
- Palliative end of life care,
- Hospice decisions, and
- Any other medical decisions that may be specific to your healthcare needs.
To learn more about what can be included in a health care directive, talk to an experienced estate planning attorney today.
Call or Contact Omar Gastelum & Associates
Do you wish to learn more about drafting or amending a health care directive in your California estate plan? The knowledgeable estate planning attorneys at The Law Offices of Omar Gastelum & Associates in Los Angeles are here to help. Call the office or contact us today to schedule a consultation of your estate planning needs.
