The Importance of Health Care Directives- an Estate Planning Tool.

We often find ourselves planning for the future, whether it's our education, career, or retirement. But there's one aspect of planning that may overlooked, and that's how we want to be treated in various medical situations, especially at the end of our lives.

The Importance of Health Care Directives

Health care directives, also known as living wills, medical directives, health care proxies, or advance health care directives, allow us to express our preferences about medical treatment in extreme situations when we cannot communicate. These documents are not just legal formalities; they are expressions of our values, our beliefs, and our desires.

Living Wills

A living will is your written expression of how you want to be treated in certain medical circumstances. It may permit you to express whether you wish to be given life-sustaining treatments if you are terminally ill or injured, or whether you wish to be provided food and water via intravenous devices ("tube feeding"). It's a document that speaks for you when you cannot speak for yourself.

Health Care Proxy

A health care proxy, sometimes called a "health care surrogate" or "durable medical power of attorney," allows you to appoint a person to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to express your preferences. This person becomes your voice, carrying out your wishes as you have outlined them.

Why Have Health Directives?

The purpose of these documents is to ensure that your preferences are made known. Physicians prefer these documents because they provide a written expression from you as to your medical care. They also designate the person the physician should consult concerning unanswered medical questions.

But it's not just about the medical professionals. These documents express your wishes to your family so that they don't have to guess what you would want. Making your wishes known in advance prevents family members from making hard choices at what likely will be one of the most stressful times in their lives.

Organ and Tissue Donation

In many states, including Rhode Island, you can include in your advance directive your preference to become an organ or tissue donor at the time of death. This decision can be a tremendous help to those in need, and it's one more way you can make your values and wishes known.

Communication is the Key

Many people prefer to keep their legal documents private. But with end-of-life issues, communicating your wishes is essential. Talk to your physician, your family, and the person you appoint as your health care proxy. The more these individuals know, the easier it will be for them to fulfill your wishes.

Conclusion

Planning for our future is a responsibility we all share. And that includes planning for the unexpected. Health care directives are not just legal documents; they are a reflection of who we are and what we believe. They are a way for us to speak when we cannot speak for ourselves.

I encourage you to take the time to consider these directives, to discuss them with your loved ones, and to put them in place. It's a decision that reflects not just our individual values but our collective responsibility to one another.