Your future medical care is something that your estate plan can address in advance. You cannot necessarily know what the future holds, but you know that there could be certain medical complications.
For example, older adults may be at risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia, so they know there may be a point when they are incapacitated by the disease but still need medical care. Even younger adults may be aware that a heart attack or a stroke could lead to incapacitation at any time. There are two main ways to address this in your estate plan.
Setting up a living will
The first is to use a type of advance directive known as a living will. This is a simple way to consider your future and make choices in advance. If you do not want to be kept on life support, you can spell out your wishes in a living will. If you do not want to be resuscitated, you may also consider using documentation like a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order.
The trouble with doing this is that you have to predict what type of care you would want in the future, even though you do not know exactly what that future holds.
A power of attorney
To get around this issue, people often use a medical power of attorney. You do not have to make any decisions today or plan out your future healthcare. You just pick an agent that you trust to make decisions when necessary.
The benefit here is that your agent can talk to your medical team, determine what would be the best course of action, and then make decisions that are in your best interests.
Both of these documents can be an important part of creating a comprehensive estate plan. Take the time to carefully consider all of your legal options when putting your plan in place.