Never too early for an advance directive
An advance directive is a legal document that allows you to spell out your decisions for end-of-life care ahead of time. A clearly drafted advance directive will make your wishes clear to your family, friends, and health care professionals and will circumvent any confusion with your care and treatment should you become unable to speak for yourself. In a sense, it is one face of a living will as it gives direction for your medical care.
Typically when we think of creating living wills and advance directives, we imagine an elderly person who may be ill and hospitalized and is in need of legal documents outlining how everything should be taken care of once they are unable to make the decisions themselves. However, it is a good idea to consider an advance directive earlier on in life. By thinking ahead and outlining a plan for care before you find yourself in a compromising situation, you will be in a clear state of mind to designate the steps you would like for your loved ones to take should you become incapacitated. Often times, when we wait until we are hospitalized to draft up an advance directive, we might be influenced by surrounding stresses and pressures.
An experienced attorney will help guide you through the steps of drafting and signing an advance directive. It is important to have the text of your advance directive be as clear as possible as this will serve as your voice when needed. An attorney will make sure the right persons are listed for care and your wishes are unambiguous for the next person to interpret.
