National Healthcare Decisions Day

National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16. This is a great opportunity to review your healthcare decision documents (often called Advance Directives or Health Care Powers of Attorney). In Wisconsin, there are three main documents commonly referred to as Advance Directives: Health Care Power of Attorney, Living Will (officially called a Declaration to Health Care Professionals), and a Do-Not-Resuscitate Order (a DNR, which is only issued by a doctor).
When working with clients, our estate plans include Health Care Powers of Attorney documents, if the client does not already have one. A Health Care Power of Attorney is an extremely important document. In your Health Care Power of Attorney, you appoint someone (your “Agent”) to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them on your own. Care should be taken in selecting your Agent, as they will be speaking for you after you have been declared incapacitated and unable to make medical decisions. If you do not have a Health Care Power of Attorney, and you are unable to make medical decisions, a guardian would have to be appointed to make medical decisions for you.
If you do not have a Health Care Power of Attorney, you should make plans to get one in place. If you have a Health Care Power of Attorney, now is a good time to review it to make sure the agents you have selected are still the people you want to make decisions for you.
If you have not done any estate planning, please contact us to discuss your overall plan, and how the Health Care Power of Attorney document fits into your plan.