Basic Overview Of Living Wills - Part 2

 

Advance health care directives are legal documents that dictate how you want to receive medical care in the event you become incapacitated. A living will is a type of advance directive that dictates your end-of-life care.

 

This 3 part series of articles will provide a basic overview of a Living Wills and a Heath Care Power of Attorneys including:

 

• Clarifying Mixed Terminology
• The Benefits of Creating a Living Will
• What Types of Procedures Are Covered
• Should you have a health care power of attorney

 

Part 1 addressed Clarifying Mixed Terminology and The Benefits of Creating a Living Will. Part 2 addresses What Types of Procedures Are Covered. Part 3 will address Should you have a health care power of attorney.

 

What Types of Procedures Are Covered?

 

Living wills address situations in which a terminal condition leaves you unable to make your own health care decisions. They are used to permit, constrain, or prohibit a variety of medical treatments. The instructions you leave can be general or specific.

 

Some of the most common topics addressed in living wills include:

 

• Life Support. Life-sustaining treatment is used when a patient's body cannot keep itself alive naturally. Treatment may include anything from respirators filling your lungs with air to dialysis when your kidneys stop filtering your blood. Depending on the situation, life support may be short or long-term.
• Palliative Care. This kind of treatment is meant to manage pain and stress caused by serious illnesses. Even if you opt out of certain kinds of life support, palliative care can help maintain your quality of life in your final days.
• Nutrition and Hydration. If you cannot eat or drink because you are incapacitated, there are a number of medical interventions that can supply your body with nutrition and hydration. Common examples include tube feeding or intravenous drips. In some cases, patients can be kept alive for years using these interventions.
• Organ Donation and Body Disposition. Your living will can specify what should be done with your organs and body when you die. For example, you can specify whether you would like to be buried or cremated. Many people also choose to donate their organs to other patients and their bodies for research.
• Religious or Philosophical Preferences. Your living will can also provide instructions that implement your religious or philosophical preferences.

 

As you consider your end-of-life treatment preferences, remember that each state has its own laws governing living wills. Therefore, be sure to consult your state's laws for special requirements and restrictions.

 

Call your Amarillo Estate Planning Attorney Today and Get Help With Your Living Will and Health Care Power Of Attorney

 

The thought of losing control of our bodies or the ability to make our own decisions can be unsettling, but incapacitation need not leave you completely powerless over your own health care. By planning in advance, living wills ensure that treatment decisions in a worst-case scenario are in fact your own decisions. Living wills and other advance care directives are often included as part of your estate plan. If you are planning your estate or updating your will, the best thing to do is consult with a local Amarillo Texas estate planning attorney to make sure you are following the laws and regulations of your respective state. Many people have similar questions and go through the same line of questioning when deciding how to make or update their estate plan. It can be and often is critical that you get legal help understanding the basics of this process. The best way to get this understanding is to contact an experienced Amarillo Estate Planning attorney near you. Stop and take a breath and call an Amarillo Estate Planning Attorney who has had decades of experience.  Pick up the phone and call Amarillo Estate Planning Attorney Bill Cornett.  Bill is your choice as an experienced estate attorney in Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle.  Don’t waste another minute.  Call him today.

 

Your most important action may end up being the phone call that you make to your Amarillo estate planning attorney lawyer.  In the Texas Panhandle that call should be to Amarillo attorney Bill Cornett.  Whether you need assistance with a will, administration of an estate or a contested probate, contact the Law Office of Bill Cornett. Be smart…remember these phone numbers (806) 374-9498 or (800) 658-6618.

 

Put Cornett Law Firm’s 50+ years of experience to work for you

 

Bill Cornett, Amarillo Attorney, with Cornett Law Firm, offers affordable, qualified services as an experienced personal injury lawyer and probate attorney. Bill also has experience in estate planning and agriculture law. Sit down with Bill at his office located at 612 S. Van Buren St. in Amarillo TX by calling (806) 374-9498 or (800) 658-6618 TODAY to schedule a free consultation.