Crafting Tailored Advanced Care Plans
Concerns about the future, especially regarding potential health problems, can weigh heavily on a person. However, tailored estate planning can provide much-needed peace of mind on this front. Advanced care plans are a vital part of this process, as they help keep your medical care wishes in control no matter what the future holds. At Crislip Philip, our Memphis-based legal team helps clients throughout West Tennessee with their advanced care plan needs. Put our knowledgeable advanced care plan attorneys and their 75 combined years of experience on your side as you prepare for the future.
What Is An Advanced Care Plan?
An advanced care plan is a collection of documents and discussions aimed at laying out your future health care preferences and what should happen if you can no longer make medical decisions for yourself. When properly developed, such a plan can help ensure your wishes are honored if you face a major health crisis or terminal illness. Such plans can be useful for individuals of all ages and health levels, as they can be used to address both known issues and future unexpected health problems. Advance directives are key components of advanced care plans. We’ll now go over some common components of these directives.
The Basics Of Living Wills
One prevalent advance health care directive component is a living will. Such a legal document outlines what you want to have happen regarding your future medical care, particularly end-of-life care, should you become incapacitated and unable to express your wishes. Living wills can include things like:
- DNR orders
- Medical instructions regarding life-sustaining treatment and life support choices
- Palliative care and comfort care choices
- Preferences related to other treatment options
Key things to consider when forming a living will are what your exact preferences are when it comes to key health issues and how to express them clearly so your living will is easily enforceable.
Putting Key Medical Decisions In Trusted Hands Through A Health Care Proxy
Another key component of an advance directive is a health care proxy. This is a document in which you designate a health care agent to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated. This is also sometimes known as a medical power of attorney document. Choosing an agent requires careful consideration of their ability to act as a surrogate decision-maker and their willingness to honor your values. Having open and honest conversations about your treatment preferences and end-of-life planning with your agent can help them have the information they need to properly voice your wishes should you no longer be able to do so yourself.
Helping You Form Effective Advance Directives
Tailoring advance directives, including living wills and health care proxy documents, to your specific needs is crucial. Properly drafted documents protect your patient autonomy and can help ensure your wishes are enforceable so they can guide your future medical care. Our incapacity planning lawyers, with their deep attention to detail, can help you create advance directives that reflect your health care values accurately.
Updating Advance Directives To Meet Your Evolving Needs
Life circumstances change, and your advance directives may need updates to reflect these shifts. Regular reviews and adjustments can help keep your advanced care plan aligned with your wishes and situation. Our attorneys can analyze, revise and update your directives to make sure they remain relevant and enforceable.
Get The Peace Of Mind You Deserve
Our experienced advanced care plan lawyers are ready to assist you in getting a plan in place that safeguards your health care preferences and quality-of-life desires. Reach out to our Memphis office today to schedule a consultation and take control of your future. Contact us online or call us at 901-201-5078 or 800-335-9613.