What are Advanced Health Care Directives?

If you become too ill to speak for yourself, Advanced Directives can specify what kind of medical decisions you would prefer.  You can appoint someone to speak or act on your behalf. Advanced directives help guide doctors and caregivers should you have a terminal illness, have a serious injury, are in a coma, have late-stage dementia or if you are near the end of life. Advanced directs allow you to make decisions now, about how you would like to be cared for in the future.

Choosing a person to act as your healthcare agent is important. Not every situation is predictable and certain circumstances will require someone to decide your wishes. That person could be your spouse, a family member, or a friend. You can also appoint an alternative healthcare agent should your primary agent be unable to make those decisions.

In Illinois and Indiana, you may make four types of advanced directives:   a health care power of attorney, a living will, a mental health treatment preference declaration and a do-not-resuscitate (DNR)/Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST).

Advanced planning and putting your advanced directives in place can spare your loved ones from future stressful situations and decisions. By placing your values in writing as directives, you’re leaving specific instructions to assist your agent in making decisions should you not be able to, and your family would not have to worry about whether the decisions they are making would honor your wishes.

If you are interested in creating Advanced Directives or initiating an Estate Plan, contact our offices today in Naperville, IL at (630) 357-2333 or in Chesterton, IN at (219) 797-7820.

The content of this article is for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.