Advance Directive/Living Will

Do your family members know what medical decisions you would make for yourself if you suddenly became incapacitated? An advance directive living will is a legal document that can outline what kind of care your healthcare proxy should choose on your behalf under certain circumstances.

Don’t miss this essential piece of estate planning. Contact the law offices of Jordan & White, LLC, for help creating a living will to guide your family in your wishes for medical care.

What Is an Advance Directive (Living Will)?

An advance directive or living will is a legal document that outlines your wishes for medical care in the event of incapacitation. Such instances could include:

  • Coma
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Persistent vegetative state
  • Congestive heart failure
  • Advanced cancer

How To Ensure Your Family Members Know Your Wishes

In your advance directive, you can stipulate specific care for different situations, including:

  • “Heroic measures” for intubation, resuscitation, blood transfusions, intravenous intervention, etc.
  • Life support conditions for indefinite care or to be taken off life support if qualified medical professionals deem you unlikely to recover
  • Hospitalization, hospice, or home care
  • Pain medication
  • Who should be present in the room at your anticipated time of dying

Healthcare Power of Attorney (Healthcare Proxy)

Massachusetts is one of three states that will not legally recognize an advance directive living will. If you want control over your healthcare in the event of incapacitation, you must name a healthcare power of attorney to make decisions on your behalf according to the wishes outlined in your advance directive.

Your healthcare power of attorney and durable power of attorney can be one and the same, or you may wish to differentiate your powers of attorney according to the talent of each. Many people have family members who work in the medical field and often choose these family members to become their healthcare agents.

Your estate planning attorney at Jordan & White, LLC, can explain the difference between durable and healthcare powers of attorney and the specific conditions to plan for in your advance directive living will.

Hospice and Palliative Care

Many people often worry that if they sign a do-not-resuscitate order or wish to be taken off of life support in a vegetative state, they will experience pain at the end of life. This is not true. Hospice and palliative care requirements for care and treatment sustain the management of patient symptoms, including pain.

While Medicare may pay for some aspects of hospice and palliative care, Medicaid is the organization that helps families pay for long-term care for their family members. Ask your estate planning attorney about how to qualify for Medicaid and the benefits of a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust.

Create a Living Will in Eastern Massachusetts

Contact the law offices of Jordan & White, LLC, for help with estate planning and planning for incapacity. With over ten years of experience taking care of your family when it matters most, we can help you create a living will. Call us today at 978-744-2811 or contact us online for help with your advance directive living will.