In California, advanced healthcare directives, or living wills, lay out a person’s plans for their healthcare should they become incapacitated. Using these documents, family members can ensure that their loved one’s medical wishes are carried out.
Although it is difficult to think about, you may not always be able to make medical choices on your own. Creating these documents is vital to ensuring your rights are protected in the event you cannot make your own decisions. To learn more about drafting advanced healthcare directives in Rosemead, get in touch with a dedicated wills lawyer today.
What Decisions Can be Addressed in an Advanced Directive?
People often sustain injuries in devastating accidents that cause them to become unconscious or fall into a coma. However, advanced directives allow individuals to lay out their medical care wishes and appoint personal representatives to act on their behalf. Often, personal representatives include spouses, children, and close relatives.
These people can make decisions for their loved ones, including whether they want to be put on life support, donate their organs, or give blood. Also, living wills allow a person to explain whether they want a religious figure to bless them should they pass away or if they wish to be resuscitated during cardiac arrest. Individuals can also inform family members about specific doctors they prefer to have care for them or whether they want morphine to keep them comfortable if they become severely ill.
It is important to note that these documents only refer to an individual’s healthcare decisions and do not address any financial wishes regarding assets or property.
When to Draft a Living Will
Because people can become sick or disabled at any point, drafting a living will early is essential. Creating these documents is simple and requires no more than a signature, two witness signatures, and a notarization. A knowledgeable attorney in Rosemead could help answer questions regarding advanced directives and ensure the will is valid under the law.
Do Healthcare Professionals Always Have to Follow a Living Will?
While living wills direct family members and doctors on a person’s healthcare decisions, medical professionals still have some say in a patient’s treatment. For example, in some situations, a doctor may believe that a specific treatment option is in a person’s best interest.
However, if a person’s family does not want to follow the details laid out in an advanced directive, a personal representative must enforce the patient’s wishes. Creating an advanced directive early gives people the ability to think about what they want before they are unable to make their own choices.
Contact an Attorney in Rosemead to Discuss Advanced Healthcare Directives Today
Drafting an advanced healthcare directive in Rosemead could give you peace of mind knowing your medical wishes are honored even if you cannot make them at the time. Fortunately, a living will allows you to appoint a representative to act for you if you cannot make choices regarding your health.
Considering these details can be overwhelming, but enlisting the help of a skilled attorney could ensure that your living will follows applicable laws and clearly states your healthcare preferences. Regardless of your injuries or illness, you deserve to make your own decisions. Call today to schedule a consultation with our seasoned legal team members and get started on drafting your healthcare directive.
