A Practical Guide to Advance Healthcare Directives and Living Wills in Seymour
Advance healthcare directives and living wills are legal documents that allow individuals to state their medical care preferences in advance and to appoint someone to make decisions when they cannot speak for themselves. For residents of Seymour and the surrounding Sevier County communities, having clear directives helps ease the burden on family members and ensures wishes are honored under Tennessee law. Jay Johnson Law Firm offers guidance through each stage of planning, from understanding options to preparing documents that reflect personal values and anticipated medical choices. This introduction outlines why these documents matter and how local planning can protect dignity and decision-making.
Many people postpone advance care planning because it feels uncomfortable, but preparing a living will or a healthcare power of attorney can prevent confusion and conflict during stressful medical situations. In Seymour, local courts, hospitals, and healthcare providers follow Tennessee rules for advance directives, so documents should be drafted with those requirements in mind. Jay Johnson Law Firm can help explain practical choices, coordinate with medical providers, and ensure the paperwork is consistent with state formalities. This paragraph emphasizes informed planning, accessible communication with family, and the practical steps to make sure directives are available when they are needed most.
Why Advance Healthcare Directives and Living Wills Are Important
Advance directives and living wills provide clarity for both medical teams and family members by recording a person’s treatment preferences ahead of time. They reduce uncertainty during emergencies, help avoid unwanted interventions, and designate someone to make decisions aligned with the patient’s values. For families in Seymour, these documents ease the emotional burden that accompanies serious health events and can streamline communications with hospitals and long-term care facilities. Beyond personal peace of mind, having properly executed directives supports efficient care coordination and ensures that medical professionals and loved ones are following documented instructions when a person cannot speak for themselves.
About Jay Johnson Law Firm and Our Approach to Advance Care Planning
Jay Johnson Law Firm serves clients across Tennessee with focused attention to estate planning and probate matters, including advance healthcare directives and living wills. The firm takes a client-centered approach that begins with listening to personal goals and medical preferences, then translating those into clear, legally effective documents. Whether you live in Seymour, Sevier County, or nearby communities, the firm prioritizes straightforward communication, compliant document preparation, and practical advice about how to share and store directives. Call 731-206-9700 to arrange a consultation and learn how a well-prepared plan can protect your wishes and provide guidance to those who will act on your behalf.
Understanding Advance Healthcare Directives and Living Wills
Advance healthcare directives and living wills serve complementary roles: a living will typically expresses preferences about life-sustaining treatments, while a healthcare power of attorney names an agent to make medical decisions if the person is incapacitated. Both documents work together to communicate values and choices to doctors and caregivers. In Tennessee, these documents must meet certain formalities to be effective, and they should be reviewed periodically as health, family circumstances, or personal preferences change. This section explains the practical function of each document and how they fit within a broader estate planning approach for residents of Seymour.
When creating an advance directive, people often balance general statements about goals of care with specific instructions about interventions they would accept or decline. Clear language helps avoid ambiguity in medical settings, and naming a reliable healthcare representative ensures day-to-day decisions reflect the person’s priorities. It is also useful to discuss values with family and medical providers so the chosen agent understands how to apply those values in real situations. Properly completed directives are important for hospital staff, long-term care facilities, and emergency responders who rely on documented preferences to guide treatment choices.
Definitions: Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney
A living will is a written statement that specifies the kinds of medical treatment a person does or does not want if they are unable to express their wishes. It often addresses life-sustaining measures, artificial nutrition, and comfort care. A healthcare power of attorney, sometimes called a medical power of attorney, designates an agent to make healthcare decisions on behalf of the person if they cannot do so themselves. These two documents work together: the living will guides the agent and medical team about specific treatment preferences, and the power of attorney appoints the person who will interpret and apply those preferences in real time.
Key Elements and the Planning Process for Advance Directives
Effective advance care planning involves discussing values, documenting clear preferences, and selecting a trusted decision maker. Key elements include specifying treatment choices in understandable terms, designating a healthcare agent, outlining any religious or personal values that should guide decisions, and providing information about organ donation or end-of-life care preferences if applicable. The process typically includes an initial meeting to gather information, drafting documents that conform with Tennessee law, reviewing drafts with the client, and ensuring proper execution through signing and, when required or recommended, witnessing or notarization. Ongoing review ensures the documents remain current and reflective of changing circumstances.
Key Terms and Glossary for Advance Healthcare Directives
Understanding common terms helps people make informed choices about their healthcare directives and living wills. This glossary covers the most frequently used concepts in advance care planning so that clients in Seymour can feel confident when discussing their wishes. Clear definitions reduce confusion when completing forms, speaking with medical providers, or assigning decision-making authority. Reviewing these terms also helps families and designated agents know what to expect and how to act in medical situations, which promotes smoother coordination between loved ones and healthcare personnel when directives are needed.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
A healthcare power of attorney is a legal document naming an individual to make medical decisions on someone’s behalf if they are unable to do so. This person, often called an agent or proxy, has the authority to speak with doctors, review treatment options, and consent to or refuse medical procedures consistent with the principal’s stated wishes. Choosing an agent involves considering reliability, proximity, emotional stability, and familiarity with the principal’s values. The designation should include alternate agents in case the primary choice is unavailable, and the document should be shared with family members and healthcare providers to ensure the agent can act without unnecessary delay.
Living Will
A living will is a written statement that sets out a person’s preferences for medical treatment in situations where they cannot communicate. It typically addresses life-sustaining therapies, such as resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, and artificial nutrition and hydration, and may express the desired balance between prolonging life and comfort-focused care. Living wills should be drafted in clear, understandable language and regularly reviewed to ensure they match current wishes. Providing copies to the designated healthcare agent, family members, and medical providers helps ensure that instructions are accessible when medical personnel need to make decisions.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) and Related Orders
A Do Not Resuscitate order, or DNR, is a medical order indicating that chest compressions and advanced cardiac life support should not be performed if a person’s heart stops. DNR orders are issued by a physician based on a patient’s wishes or existing advance directives and are entered into a medical record or provided on a form recognized by the care setting. DNR status is distinct from a living will but may be informed by its instructions. Discussing DNR preferences with both the healthcare agent and medical providers ensures the order reflects the person’s values and current medical circumstances.
Physician Orders and POLST Forms
Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) or comparable medical orders translate a patient’s preferences into physician-signed instructions that travel with the patient across care settings. POLST forms are intended for individuals with serious illness or frailty and provide clear, actionable medical orders about resuscitation, hospitalization, antibiotics, and use of life-sustaining treatments. While not all patients need a POLST, these forms can complement advance directives by ensuring immediate, clinically actionable guidance is available to emergency personnel and treating clinicians, helping to align care with the patient’s goals.
Comparing Limited Forms and Comprehensive Advance Care Planning
There are different ways to document medical preferences, ranging from simple one-page forms to comprehensive planning that includes detailed living wills and appointed agents. Limited forms may provide quick clarity for narrow situations, while comprehensive documents address a wider range of scenarios and coordinate with other estate planning instruments. The best choice depends on health status, family dynamics, and the level of detail a person wishes to provide. Comprehensive plans reduce ambiguity and can be especially helpful when multiple medical decisions might be required over time, whereas limited forms may be appropriate for straightforward, immediate circumstances.
When a Limited Advance Directive May Be Appropriate:
Short-Term or Low-Risk Medical Situations
A limited directive can be appropriate for people facing a clearly defined medical procedure or short-term treatment where specific instructions address the foreseeable scenario. For example, individuals undergoing planned surgery with low complication risk who want to clarify a few key preferences may benefit from a concise document that covers the immediate circumstances. This approach reduces paperwork while still informing medical staff and family about essential wishes. However, when a person anticipates more complex or evolving medical needs, expanding the plan to a comprehensive directive may better protect long-term decision-making consistency.
Clear, Narrow Treatment Preferences
Some individuals have a small number of very specific choices they want to record, such as refusing a particular life-sustaining treatment under defined circumstances. In these cases, a focused document can express those positions without a full estate plan. Limited directives are also useful when family communication is strong and a designated decision maker is already trusted and available. Even with a limited approach, it is important to verify that the form meets Tennessee requirements and is accessible to healthcare providers so that the stated preferences are honored when needed.
When a Comprehensive Advance Care Plan Is Advisable:
Multiple Health Conditions or Complex Family Situations
Comprehensive planning is often the best choice when someone has multiple chronic conditions, an unclear prognosis, or a family structure that could complicate decision making. Detailed documents reduce disagreement by providing clear guidance on values and specific treatment preferences. Naming primary and alternate decision makers, explaining the reasons behind choices, and aligning the directive with estate planning documents can prevent disputes and delays. For residents of Seymour with complicated health or family circumstances, a thorough approach offers clarity and a coordinated plan for how medical and end-of-life decisions should be handled.
Integration with Estate and Long-Term Care Planning
When advance care planning is part of broader estate or long-term care planning, comprehensive documents ensure consistency between medical instructions and other legal arrangements. Coordinating directives with wills, powers of attorney for finances, and beneficiary designations helps avoid conflicts and gaps that could create legal or practical challenges. A coordinated approach also provides a single, reviewed estate plan that reflects current wishes for healthcare, property distribution, and financial management, which can be especially valuable for those who want a seamless plan covering multiple aspects of future incapacity or end-of-life care.
Benefits of Taking a Comprehensive Approach to Advance Care Planning
A comprehensive advance care plan offers several distinct benefits: it clarifies treatment preferences across a range of scenarios, designates trusted decision makers, and reduces the likelihood of family conflict by documenting choices in writing. Comprehensive documents also improve continuity of care because they can be shared with primary care providers, specialists, and hospitals. For residents of Seymour, a thorough plan adapted to Tennessee law can provide both peace of mind and practical guidance, helping loved ones act promptly and in line with the person’s documented wishes during stressful medical situations.
Beyond immediate medical decisions, a comprehensive plan supports long-term planning by incorporating instructions for future review and updates. It ensures that appointed agents understand the individual’s values and how to apply them in new circumstances. This proactive approach often saves time and emotional strain later by avoiding rushed choices during crises. Additionally, having complete, accessible documents reduces administrative burdens for caregivers and simplifies communication with medical staff, which can lead to clearer, more consistent application of the individual’s care preferences.
Peace of Mind Through Clear, Documented Wishes
One of the primary benefits of a comprehensive plan is the peace of mind that comes from knowing your medical preferences are recorded and legally recognized. This clarity helps family members avoid agonizing guesswork and supports medical teams in delivering care consistent with your values. When directives are explicit and accessible, they remove uncertainty about end-of-life care and difficult treatment decisions. For many people in Seymour, achieving that sense of preparedness is a compelling reason to draft or update advance directives and living wills well before medical emergencies arise.
Minimizing Conflict and Streamlining Care Decisions
Comprehensive directives reduce the risk of disputes among family members by providing a clear roadmap for decision making and naming a designated person to act on behalf of the individual. This can streamline interactions with hospitals and care teams by presenting concise instructions and a responsible contact for decisions. When everyone involved understands the documented wishes and the designated agent’s role, families often experience less tension during medical crises. Clear directives also support faster, more coordinated medical responses, helping ensure that care aligns with the person’s stated preferences.
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Practical Tips for Advance Healthcare Directives
Start the Conversation Early
Begin discussions about medical wishes with family members and potential decision makers long before a health crisis occurs. Early conversations give your chosen agent time to understand your values, ask questions, and feel comfortable making difficult decisions if necessary. Document the outcomes of those conversations in a written directive and provide copies to loved ones and medical providers. Early planning also allows you to revisit decisions over time as health and family circumstances evolve, ensuring the directive continues to reflect your preferences and priorities in a changing situation.
Select and Prepare a Trusted Agent
Keep Documents Accessible and Review Regularly
Make sure your completed directives are easy to find when needed by keeping copies with family, your healthcare agent, and primary care providers. Consider storing an electronic copy in a secure online location and carry a wallet card that indicates where documents are kept. Reviewing your directives every few years or after major life events ensures they reflect current wishes. Inform medical providers when updates are made, and replace older versions to avoid confusion. Accessible, up-to-date documents increase the chances that your care preferences will be followed precisely.
Reasons to Consider an Advance Healthcare Directive or Living Will
If you want to direct how medical decisions are made when you cannot speak, an advance directive or living will provides a reliable method to communicate those choices. Individuals with chronic conditions, undergoing surgery, or planning for later life commonly find these documents indispensable for preserving autonomy over treatment preferences. Advance directives also protect families from uncertainty by designating a decision maker and stating clear instructions, which can prevent disagreements during stressful situations and ensure that medical decisions align with the person’s values and priorities.
People often choose to prepare directives to avoid undesired medical interventions and to ensure comfort-focused care when recovery is unlikely. Those caring for elderly parents or planning for potential incapacity may use directives to coordinate medical care with financial and estate planning. Advance directives are tools that complement other legal documents, helping create a holistic plan that addresses health care, decision-making authority, and posthumous wishes. For residents of Seymour, taking these steps can provide clarity and practical support when facing future health-related decisions.
Common Circumstances That Make Advance Directives Important
Advance healthcare directives are commonly needed in situations such as major surgeries, diagnoses of progressive illnesses, advanced age planning, and when family dynamics could complicate decision making. They are also important for anyone who wants to specify preferences about life-sustaining treatments, comfort care, or organ donation. Having directives in place before a crisis ensures that medical teams and loved ones have documented guidance to follow when immediate decisions are required. Proactive planning reduces stress and increases the likelihood that care reflects the person’s stated values.
Major Surgery or Chronic Illness
Undergoing major surgery or living with a chronic or progressive illness are clear reasons to prepare advance directives. These situations may involve periods when the person cannot communicate or when difficult choices about life-sustaining treatment arise. Documenting preferences in advance helps surgeons, hospital staff, and family members make treatment decisions in alignment with the patient’s wishes. In addition to directives, discussing care goals with medical providers and loved ones ensures everyone understands the intended approach to treatment and recovery expectations.
Advanced Age and Retirement Planning
As people age and plan for retirement, thinking about future medical decisions becomes an important part of overall planning. Advance directives allow older adults to specify preferences about hospitalization, long-term care, and procedures they would or would not want. These documents also help adult children and caregivers by providing clear direction during emotionally charged moments. Integrating advance care planning into retirement and estate planning ensures consistency across legal documents and reduces uncertainty about who will make decisions if capacity is lost.
Unexpected Medical Emergencies
Emergencies can render individuals unable to communicate their wishes, making preexisting directives particularly valuable. Having a living will and a designated healthcare agent means that emergency responders and hospital staff can quickly identify the person’s preferences and who should be contacted for decisions. This preparedness reduces delays and confusion at critical moments. Keeping copies of directives accessible, informing family members of their location, and ensuring medical records note the presence of an advance directive improves the likelihood that the person’s choices will be honored during urgent care.
Advance Care Planning Attorney Serving Seymour and Sevier County
Jay Johnson Law Firm serves clients in Seymour and throughout Sevier County by helping prepare living wills and healthcare powers of attorney tailored to individual needs and Tennessee law. The firm assists with document drafting, review, and proper execution, and offers practical guidance for sharing directives with family and medical providers. Call 731-206-9700 to discuss your situation and arrange a meeting. The goal is to create documents that reflect your values, inform your chosen decision maker, and ensure your preferences are accessible when important care decisions arise.
Why Contact Jay Johnson Law Firm for Advance Healthcare Directives
Clients choose Jay Johnson Law Firm for clear communication and practical planning tailored to their circumstances. The firm focuses on listening to your wishes, explaining legal options in plain language, and preparing documents that are intended to be understood by family and medical professionals. For residents of Seymour, this means receiving localized guidance that reflects Tennessee requirements and common practices in area healthcare settings. The firm aims to provide straightforward, actionable advice to help clients make informed decisions about their medical directives and appointed decision makers.
Preparing advance directives involves more than filling out forms; it requires thoughtful discussion about values and realistic choices, and care in wording to avoid ambiguity. Jay Johnson Law Firm assists clients in crafting documents that record preferences clearly and include appropriate backups, such as alternate agents. The firm also advises on how to share directives with providers, how to store documents, and when to update them. This practical support helps ensure directives are effective and readily available when medical professionals need guidance.
Clients appreciate assistance in coordinating advance directives with other aspects of planning, such as wills and powers of attorney for finances, so decisions about health care and property management are aligned. Jay Johnson Law Firm works to create coherent plans that reflect current wishes and allow for future updates as circumstances change. For those in Seymour who want to avoid confusion and ease the burden on loved ones, this coordinated approach helps ensure that both medical and estate decisions are addressed in a consistent and accessible manner.
Contact Us to Start Your Advance Care Planning
How Jay Johnson Law Firm Handles Advance Directive Planning
The firm’s process begins with a conversation about your health, values, and goals for future care. From there, the team drafts documents tailored to your preferences and Tennessee legal requirements, reviews them with you to confirm accuracy, and assists with proper signing and distribution. The firm also advises on how to communicate choices to family and healthcare providers and recommends periodic reviews to keep the documents current. This structured approach helps ensure directives are clear, accessible, and aligned with your overall estate plan.
Initial Consultation: Goals and Medical Preferences
During the initial consultation, the attorney gathers information about your medical history, family situation, and the kinds of medical choices you wish to address. This meeting explores values, specific treatment preferences, and potential decision makers so the directive reflects realistic scenarios. The consultation also considers any existing documents that should be coordinated with the new directive. This step creates the foundation for drafting clear language and ensures that the resulting documents match both personal priorities and Tennessee formal requirements.
Discussing Medical Values and Treatment Preferences
A detailed conversation about values helps translate abstract preferences into practical instructions that medical teams can follow. Topics commonly include preferences for life-sustaining treatments, approaches to pain management and comfort care, and beliefs about hospitalization or long-term support. These discussions guide the language used in the living will and inform the healthcare agent about how to interpret choices in real time. Clear documentation reduces uncertainty and assists both family members and clinicians when urgent decisions must be made.
Choosing the Right Healthcare Agent and Alternates
Selecting a healthcare agent involves considering who can make tough decisions under pressure and act consistently with the person’s values. The process includes identifying primary and alternate agents, discussing potential conflicts, and assessing practical factors such as availability and proximity. The attorney will suggest wording to clarify the agent’s authority and any limits the principal wishes to impose. Preparing the agent through conversation and sharing copies of the directive ensures they are ready to carry out responsibilities if called upon.
Drafting and Review of Advance Directive Documents
After gathering information, the firm prepares draft documents that reflect stated preferences and conform with Tennessee requirements. The drafts are reviewed with the client to ensure accuracy, remove ambiguity, and confirm that the directives align with broader estate planning goals. The review process may include revisions to language, addition of contingency instructions, and coordination with other legal documents. Clear, reviewed drafts minimize the risk of misinterpretation and ensure the resulting documents are practical for both family members and medical professionals.
Drafting Clear, State-Compliant Documents
The drafting phase focuses on creating directives that use straightforward language to express choices and name decision makers while meeting the formalities required in Tennessee. This includes specifying instructions for life-sustaining treatment where desired, addressing comfort care preferences, and including any necessary execution statements. The aim is to eliminate ambiguous phrases that can lead to differing interpretations and to make documents that are compatible with routine medical and administrative processes in local healthcare settings.
Reviewing, Explaining, and Finalizing Choices
Once drafts are prepared, the attorney reviews each provision with the client, explaining how specific language may be applied in medical situations. This step ensures the client understands the practical implications of choices and confirms that the documents reflect actual wishes. Any necessary adjustments are made to clarify intent. Finalization includes preparing copies for distribution and advising on best practices for storage and notification so that the documents will be available and recognized when needed.
Execution, Distribution, and Ongoing Review
After finalizing documents, proper execution and distribution are essential. This includes following Tennessee signing and witnessing rules, providing copies to the healthcare agent and family, and ensuring medical providers have access to the directive. The firm recommends storing executed documents in multiple locations and reviewing them periodically or after major life changes. Ongoing review ensures the directives remain consistent with evolving wishes and medical circumstances, maintaining their relevance and effectiveness over time.
Proper Signing, Witnessing, and Notarization Procedures
Ensuring the directive is legally valid includes following the signing and witnessing requirements set by Tennessee law, and when appropriate, obtaining notarization. Proper execution reduces the risk that a document will be challenged or ignored in a medical setting. The firm will explain the specific formalities applicable to each document and coordinate a signing session so clients complete the process correctly. Confirming validity helps make certain that healthcare teams and institutions will accept and follow the recorded instructions.
Sharing Documents with Healthcare Providers and Loved Ones
Once executed, directives should be shared with primary care providers, specialists, and any institutions where care may be provided, as well as with the designated agent and family members. Clear sharing reduces delays and ensures medical staff can readily locate instructions when decisions arise. The firm advises on practical steps for distributing copies, using electronic records where available, and updating institutional paperwork. Ongoing communication with those who may rely on the directive supports smoother implementation in urgent scenarios.
Frequently Asked Questions About Advance Healthcare Directives and Living Wills
What is the difference between a living will and a healthcare power of attorney?
A living will and a healthcare power of attorney serve different but complementary functions. A living will provides written instructions about specific medical treatments a person wishes to accept or refuse if they cannot communicate their preferences, focusing on interventions like resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, or artificial nutrition. A healthcare power of attorney designates an individual to make medical decisions on the person’s behalf if they are incapacitated, allowing that agent to interpret the living will and apply it to actual medical situations. Together, they provide both specific direction and a decision maker who can respond to circumstances not foreseen in the living will.
Do advance directives have to be notarized in Tennessee?
Notarization is not always required for advance directives in Tennessee, but proper execution including witness signatures is important to ensure the documents are accepted. The specific formalities can vary by document type and by the policies of healthcare institutions. While notarization can add an extra layer of verifiability, the primary concern is that the directive meets state statutory requirements and clearly records the person’s intent. Consulting with a legal professional helps confirm which execution steps are advisable for your situation and provides guidance on how to make the documents as effective as possible in local healthcare settings.
How do I choose the right person to make healthcare decisions for me?
When choosing a healthcare agent, consider someone who understands your values, can remain calm under pressure, and is willing to speak with medical providers and family members on your behalf. Practical considerations include geographic proximity, availability, and the ability to be present if urgent decisions are needed. It is also wise to name alternate agents in case the primary designee is unavailable. Discuss your wishes in detail with the person you choose so they know how you would like decisions to be made and can act confidently when necessary.
Can I change or revoke my advance directive later?
Yes, advance directives can be changed or revoked at any time provided you have decision-making capacity. Revisions should be made in writing, using clear language, and older copies should be destroyed or marked as revoked to prevent confusion. It is important to notify your healthcare agent, family members, and medical providers of any changes so everyone has access to the most current documents. Periodic review after life events, such as marriage, divorce, new diagnoses, or the death of a named agent, helps ensure the directive continues to reflect your current wishes.
Will hospitals and doctors in Seymour follow my living will?
Hospitals and doctors generally follow valid advance directives that comply with Tennessee law and that are clearly presented in the patient’s medical record. It is advisable to provide copies of the living will and power of attorney to your primary care provider and any specialists so they can add them to medical charts. In urgent situations, having directives on file and informing family members and the designated agent about their location improves the likelihood that medical teams will follow the documented instructions. If issues arise, the firm can advise on steps to address institutional concerns or clarify documentation.
What if my family disagrees with my documented wishes?
Family disagreements can occur if instructions are ambiguous or if loved ones disagree with recorded choices. Clear, specific directives and early conversations with family and the designated agent reduce the risk of conflict. Naming a decision maker and documenting reasons for certain choices helps others understand the basis for the instructions. When disputes arise, legal counsel can assist in explaining the validity of the directive and the duties of the appointed agent. Having legally executed, accessible documents typically strengthens the ability to have wishes honored despite differing family opinions.
Should I include organ donation preferences in my directives?
Including organ donation preferences in your advance directive or on a state donor registry clarifies your wishes and assists family members and providers in honoring those decisions. Organ donation is a separate legal choice and is often documented on driver’s licenses, donor registries, and in your advance planning paperwork. If organ donation is important to you, explicitly stating it in writing and registering as a donor will make your preference clear to medical teams. Discussing your choice with family and the designated agent ensures they understand and can support the decision if the situation arises.
How often should I review or update my advance directives?
Reviewing your advance directives every few years or after major life events is recommended to ensure they remain aligned with your wishes. Changes in health, relationships, or personal values may prompt revisions, and regular reviews give you an opportunity to update named agents or instructions. After any revision, distribute updated copies to healthcare providers, your agent, and family members, and remove or mark older versions as revoked. Regular review helps keep documents current and reduces the chance that outdated instructions will be followed in place of your most recent choices.
What should I bring to my initial planning meeting?
For an initial planning meeting, bring any existing estate planning documents, a list of current medications and medical providers, and the names and contact information of potential healthcare agents. It is also helpful to note any specific medical treatments you would or would not want under certain conditions and to think about your overall values and goals for care. Sharing relevant family history and any prior discussions with loved ones can help the attorney tailor documents to your needs. Being prepared allows the meeting to focus on clarifying preferences and drafting effective directives.
How can I ensure my advance directive is available during an emergency?
To ensure your advance directive is available during an emergency, provide copies to your healthcare agent, family members, and primary care provider, and ask that it be included in your electronic medical record when possible. Carry a wallet card indicating that you have an advance directive and where it can be found, and consider storing an electronic copy in a secure cloud location that can be accessed by trusted people. Informing medical providers at hospital admissions and keeping copies in convenient places increases the likelihood that your documented wishes will be consulted when urgent decisions arise.