The Facts About Advance Directives

What can a living will include?

A living will can include which treatments you want should you become permanently incapacitated or which treatments you don't want. Some of these requests include permitting or not permitting:

• Resuscitation or do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders
• Feeding tubes
• Use of oxygen by intubation or by other means, and dialysis
• Assisted feeding and hydration
• Pain medication
• Organ donation
• What type of funeral you want, such as burial or cremation
• Who you want, and don't want, making decisions for you
• Blood transfusions and any surgery
• Active intervention for purposes of changing your incapacitation
• Whether you want to remain in the hospital or go home
• Medication

Ensure your living will is clear so that it communicates exactly what you want and what you don't want. Clarity will help avoid any confusion.

What is the purpose of a healthcare power of attorney?

A healthcare POA is a type of advance directive, but it's broader in scope than a living will. If you give someone, called your agent, a healthcare POA, you're allowing them to make medical decisions when you're unable to do so.

These medical decisions are not end-of-life decisions, unlike the situations applicable to living wills. Instead, such decisions involve medical care when you're temporarily incapacitated or temporarily unable to communicate.

You can have a successor healthcare agent if you so desire. This is beneficial if, for some reason, your primary agent cannot perform their healthcare POA duties.

Likewise, you can have one agent act as both healthcare POA and as the agent appointed under your living will. That agent must follow the instructions spelled out in each document.

Why you should have both types of advance directives?

To fully protect yourself, it's important to have both a living will and a healthcare POA. Both advance directives are crucial to have a comprehensive medical plan in place. These documents also are essential estate planning tools.

Both a living will and a healthcare POA protect you during your lifetime if, for example, you're unable to communicate because you're incapacitated or are under anesthesia or if you're near the end of your life.

While no one wants to dwell on these situations, it's a good idea to have these documents in place so you'll never have to worry about healthcare scenarios that are beyond your control.