An advanced directive is a legal document that allows you to specify your wishes for medical treatment in the event that you are unable to communicate them yourself. Advanced directives can include a living will or healthcare power of attorney, and can be used in the event that you are permanently unconscious or have a terminal condition. Guardians can also be appointed through an advanced directive, which can help to avoid having a guardianship placed on you by the court.
Advanced directives in Ohio include a living will or healthcare power of attorney. The healthcare power of attorneys are specific to health related situations. There are two times these documents (will or healthcare power of attorney) will be used. The first is permanently unconscious state. The patient has lost brain function. It is not a case where someone is knocked out, it means you lose it upstairs permanently.
The second is related to disease that will end your life in a short period, a terminal condition. What a living will does is allow you to speak to a an attending physician and say “I don’t want life sustaining treatments if I am in one of these two states. I just want comfort care if I am in one of those situations.” You get to determine your treatment even if you are unable to communicate for yourself.
A healthcare power of attorney is where you an appoint an agent to speak on your behalf when you are unable to. The agent can be anyone you designate and you may appoint more than one.
There are guardians which are a court-appointed decision maker for an incapacitated person or someone under the age of 18. If you want to avoid having a guardianship, you should consider an advanced directive.
Ready to discuss advanced directives as part of your will? Learn More: https://aolaw.biz/wills/
