Understandably, we all have wishes for how we should be treated at the end of our lives. Establishing clear and undisputable instructions if you ever become incapacitated not only ensures your wishes are followed, it ensures that medical records can be accessed in emergency situations, guiding your loved ones to make decisions which are in accord with your desires. Through an advance healthcare directive, you can do just that. Though it may be difficult to discuss these matters, our firm is ready to ease you through this tough topic, securing your needs. The Law Offices of Yacoba Ann Feldman is an experienced life planning law firm that can help you clearly document your wishes in a format that is enforceable under California law. Contact our firm to discuss your concerns with an experienced, responsive, and knowledgeable Woodland Hills advance healthcare directive attorney.
Understanding and Creating Your Advance Health Care Directive
Advance health care directives allow you to establish guidelines for how you want your health care to be handled when you lack the physical or mental capacity to communicate your wishes. It also allows you to appoint an individual to handle such decisions, if the time comes. Advance health care directives (also commonly referred to as living wills, health care proxy, designation of surrogate, power of attorney for health care) are associated with directing others on how your end-of-life care should be carried out. They can be used for so much more. You can address a multitude of other choices:
- Set the standard for determining your incapacity
- Communicate your wishes to receive or not receive life-saving care
- Ensure decisions are made in accordance with your beliefs, principles or religious practices
- Provide authority for loved ones to obtain medical records in emergency situations
- Indicate whether the document is effective immediately or upon a finding of incapacity
- Address other health care wishes
Creating your advance health care directives is a very personal process. Our firm can help you understand the document, explain your opportunity to convey important desires and validate your intentions.
It is important to understand that your health care directives are just that — they direct your care, your wishes, your intentions. Just as it is acceptable to communicate that certain types of care are not in accordance with your beliefs, it is equally acceptable to communicate that you wish to receive all necessary and available care. It is also important to realize that while your health care directive can provide instructions and crucial guidance for to your appointed agent, it is still just a document. It is critical that you communicate with your doctors, family members, and other loved ones to ensure they realize you have established advance health care directives and add further their understanding of your desires.
Contact a Woodland Hills Advance Healthcare Directive Attorney
The Law Offices of Yacoba Ann Feldman has over 35 years of experience working with individuals and families across California, preparing their estates and wishes for times when they cannot speak for themselves. If you have questions about creating your advance health care directives or need a law firm to guide you through the process, contact the Law Offices of Yacoba Ann Feldman to discuss your goals with an advance healthcare directives attorney