Advance Healthcare Directives Lawyers in White Plains

Helping You Protect Your Medical Decisions

Creating a comprehensive plan for your future is of the utmost importance. While protecting your assets like property, investments, and bank accounts is essential, so is creating a plan for your healthcare decisions. If you become incapacitated and are unable to make decisions about medical care on your own, it can cause a lot of stress for your loved ones, and your wishes may not be followed. Fortunately, an advance directive makes it possible to dictate your medical wishes to avoid any confusion or stress in the future.

There are a few different ways to create an advanced care plan, and choosing the right one for your circumstances is essential. If you would like to create a Health Care Proxy medical treatment plan in the event of a medical emergency, an advance healthcare directive lawyer on our team can help. Contact the Law Offices of Patricia G. Micek PLLC today at 914-533-1756 for more information about our services.

What is an Advance Healthcare Directive?

A health care proxy involves discussing and planning for future decisions about your medical care. Creating a plan for your medical treatment can save your loved ones time and stress in the event you become incapacitated. The legal documents that note these wishes make up an advance directive.

There are two common legal documents that our team can help you choose from, including:

Living Will

A living will is a document that tells doctors how you would like to be treated if you need emergency medical care. In a living will, you can note which medical treatments you want, which ones you don’t want, and under which circumstances your choices apply.

Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney names your healthcare proxy, an individual who is allowed to make healthcare decisions on your behalf. Your proxy should be a loved one you trust who is familiar with your medical wishes. Most people choose a family member, but you can also select a close friend or other loved one.

Both living wills and durable powers of attorney can be used to make decisions about pain management, tube feeding, artificial nutrition, and other treatments that may be options if you are permanently unconscious. You can create both a living will and a durable power of attorney or choose one or the other. For more information, contact our team to discuss your situation.

Who Needs an Advance Healthcare Directive?

While advance healthcare directives may sound like they are only for elderly or ill people, that is not the case. Advance directives are beneficial for anyone who has medical wishes they would like to communicate in the event of an unforeseen accident. Medical crises can happen to anyone at any age, and you could find yourself critically ill at a moment’s notice. Creating an advance healthcare directive now saves your loved ones from making difficult decisions without your input later on.

Advance healthcare directives are also very helpful for individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. These neurological diseases are terminal conditions that can advance rapidly. If you have dementia, creating an advance healthcare directive now can give you a sense of control over the future. By noting your medical wishes, you can ensure that any future medical treatments you undergo will be done according to your values and your needs. If you do not feel comfortable making your own medical decisions, you can work with a loved one to prepare an advance directive.

What Are the Other Advance Care Planning Orders?

Living wills and durable powers of attorney aren’t the only documents you can use to create an advance healthcare plan. By working with a member of our team, you can create a comprehensive advance directive to ensure that you get the medical treatments you need.

Below are some of the other advance care planning orders you can choose from:

• Do not resuscitate (DNR) order: A DNR is part of your medical chart and informs medical staff that you do not want CPR or life-sustaining medical treatment in the event your breathing and heartbeat stop. Without a DNR, medical staff will make every effort to restore your breathing and your heartbeat.
• Do not hospitalize (DNH) order: A DNH tells long-term caregivers, like nursing home staff, that you do not wish to be sent to the hospital for end-of-life care.
• Do not intubate (DNI) order: A DNI tells medical staff that you would not like to be put on a ventilator.
• Medical orders for life-sustaining treatment (MOLST): This form guides healthcare professionals about the type of medical care you can receive in an emergency situation. A MOLST is often created for terminally ill or critically ill patients who are receiving end-of-life care.

What Can an Estate Planning Lawyer Do for Me?

Protecting your medical wishes is an essential component of estate planning. In the event that you are incapacitated or in a persistent vegetative state, an advance directive will be the guiding force in determining your medical treatment. The documents in an advance directive ensure that your medical wishes are respected even when you cannot make decisions on your own.

At the Law Offices of Patricia G. Micek PLLC, our team is here to provide information about advance healthcare directives. We can help you choose the right documents for your advance directive plan, ensuring that your medical care is legally dictated. Our experienced attorneys are dedicated to protecting the wishes of our clients, and we are confident we can help you no matter what your medical treatment plan may be. For more information about our services and to speak to a member of our team, call 914-533-1756 today.