Planning for your future means making many considerations. With an estate plan, you can arrange for what happens to your assets after you pass away. You can also use an estate plan to make arrangements for your future medical care.
A living will and power of attorney are two ways to plan for your future medical care. These documents can arrange for what would happen if you become incapacitated and cannot care for yourself. To understand more, you should read the following:
Making arrangements for end-of-life care
A living will is a written statement that instructs medical physicians and family members on how to care for you if you are incapacitated. This document can detail your end-of-life care wishes, including whether you would want to be placed on life support, resuscitated or have your organs donated.
Some people would want to have surgery done on them if there is a chance they could recover from their medical condition. However, others may not want to go on life-sustaining treatments if it means suffering from long-term disabilities.
Much like a living will, a power of attorney is a trusted representative who acts on your behalf if you are incapacitated. However, unlike a living will, a power of attorney manages daily matters that could impact your health. This agent can make a wider scope of decisions on your behalf, such as authorizing or refusing the use of medicine or surgical procedures. A power of attorney can also make decisions for matters that are not addressed in a living will.
If you want to learn more about your living will and power of attorney options, you may need to seek legal guidance.
