Orlando Health Care Directives Lawyers

A health care directive gives you the ability to make your wishes known about the type of health care you would like to receive should you become too ill to make health care decisions for yourself. The two main ways that you can make your wishes regarding how you want your health care managed is through a living will or through a durable power of attorney for health care.

A health care directive is not just for those with terminal illness or for older individuals making end-of-life plans, but something that everyone should consider. What decisions do you want made if you were to get into a serious accident? Would you want to remain on life support? If you were to be declared brain dead, do you want your organs and tissues donated? It is never too soon to think about putting a health care directive in place. Legal Counsel, P.A. employs health care directive lawyers in Orlando who can help you put a health care plan in place as part of your estate planning needs and draft a health care directive that can include your wishes and also appoint a proxy to manage your medical care. Have questions? We have answers. Contact Legal Counsel, P.A. today at 407-982-4321.

What Should Be Included in Your Health Care Directive? 

A health care directive, through a living will or medical power of attorney, can make your wishes clear should you ever be hurt so badly you end up unconscious or unable to make decisions for yourself. If you have a terminal illness where you understand that eventually your loved ones may need to make decisions for you, a medical power of attorney or living will should be part of your end of life planning. What should be included in your medical power of attorney or living will?

• Decide who you want making medical decisions on your behalf. Talk to your spouse, your children, and your loved ones and choose someone you trust who can also handle the decision-making process.
• Would you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops or if you stop breathing?
• Would you want to be put on a feeding tube if you cannot feed yourself?
• Do you want to be put on life support?
• Talk to your doctor about how your illness is likely to progress and about the kinds of treatments that will be available to you. Talk to your doctor about your fears and concerns. Some individuals will want to fight to prolong their lives while others will be more concerned about avoiding pain and staying comfortable in their last days. The kind of care you’ll choose for yourself and designate in your medical power of attorney or living will depend on your values and your needs.
• Do you want to donate your organs and tissues?
• If you have a serious illness, like cancer, would you want to be given antibiotics if you develop pneumonia? In this case, antibiotics could prolong your life, but may not save your life.
• If you are in pain and need treatment for your pain, would you prefer higher dose pain medication that might make you unconscious or would you want lower-dose pain medication that might leave you feeling more pain, but would allow you to be conscious?
• When drafting your living will and medical power of attorney, you may want to speak to your doctor about possible scenarios that can arise and address some of these scenarios in your living will or medical power of attorney.

These are just some of the things you may want to consider when making plans about the kind of health care you might want to receive. Legal Counsel, P.A. employs health care directive lawyers in Orlando, Florida who can help you draft either your living will or medical advance directive. Have questions? We have answers. Contact Legal Counsel, P.A. today at 407-982-4321.

Living Will Versus Durable Powers of Attorney 

What is the difference between a living will and a durable power of attorney? A living will can only be consulted when you are unconscious or unable to make decisions for yourself. If you have a terminal illness or are in a persistent vegetative state, your living will can outline the kind of treatment you would want to receive in this situation. It is important to distinguish between medical treatment to prolong life and medical treatment that can be administered to keep you comfortable. When you refuse certain types of medical treatment, doctors will only refrain from using these treatments to prolong your life. With a durable power of attorney, you grant another person that you trust the ability to make health care decisions on your behalf. You may still want to have a living will in place so that your wishes are known, but also appoint a person to be your proxy through a durable power of attorney to ensure that these wishes are honored. Legal Counsel, P.A. employs health care directive lawyers in Orlando, Florida who can help you with both a durable power of attorney and your living will. Have questions? We have answers. Contact Legal Counsel, P.A. today at 407-982-4321.

Contact Legal Counsel, P.A. for End-of-Life Planning 

Legal Counsel, P.A. employs health care directive lawyers who can help you with all your end-of-life planning needs. Whether you need assistance with a health care directive because you are aging, because you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, or because you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, our health care directive lawyers can help you plan ahead so that you’ll have peace of mind that your wishes will be honored. Even individuals who are young and who do not have terminal illnesses should consider having a living will in place. A living will can make clear what your wishes are should you ever be in a serious accident or find yourself suddenly ill and unable to make decisions for yourself.

While you might be tempted to use template health care directives you can find online, these directives may not always consider your unique medical, spiritual, or personal needs. When you draft a health care directive with the personalized attention of our Orlando health care directive lawyers at Legal Counsel, P.A., you can ensure that all your needs will be considered and met. Have questions? We have answers.  Contact Legal Counsel, P.A. today at 407-982-4321.