Most adults don’t think about what’s going to happen to them if they become incapacitated. Some may just assume that someone close to them will be able to make decisions for them. The fact is that this isn’t always how it happens.
You can take care of what happens if you become incapacitated by establishing the power of attorney designation and advance healthcare directive now. Together, these components of your estate plan ensure you’re in charge of what happens to you even if you can’t speak up for yourself.
Planning for your healthcare
You can give a person the power to make medical decisions for you by designating them as your power of attorney. There are limitations to these powers if you have your living will set.
The living will is a document that outlines all the medical decisions you’ve already made for yourself. Your medical care team will go by these decisions when determining what type of care you need if you’re incapacitated.
You can include various things in your living will. These include what type of life-prolonging care you want. This includes things like your wishes about intravenous nutrition and resuscitation. The more specific you are, the easier it will be to follow your wishes. If decisions need to be made that aren’t covered here, your power of attorney will make the decisions for you.
Making sure that you have a comprehensive estate plan is crucial because it’s the only way to make sure your wishes are known if you’re unable to relay them on your own. Having your power of attorney designation and advance healthcare directive in place takes care of your end-of-life care. Be sure you have someone knowledgeable about these matters assist you with getting them all taken care of.
