What happens if you can’t speak for yourself in a medical emergency?
Incapacity Planning and Powers of Attorney That Protect Your Wishes
Clear medical directives
Trusted decision-makers
Family stress avoided
Because your care and future shouldn’t be left to chance.
Incapacity Planning: Prepare for Unexpected Medical Events
Incapacity planning prepares your loved ones to care for you if the unexpected happens and you can’t speak for yourself. You can speak for yourself now, though.
Medical professionals, family, and friends can’t know your medical wishes in unexpected medical situations unless you make them clear. If you end up in the hospital needing life-saving treatments:
- How will your loved ones make medical decisions on your behalf?
- What if you leave the hospital needing constant nursing care?
- How would you pay for around the clock nursing care or long term care?
- Who will pay your bills and care for your finances if you become incapacipated?
- Would you prefer to refuse certain medical procedures such as intubation, CPR, dialysis, blood transfusions, or specific surgeries?
Are You in the 70 Percent?
Almost 70% of Americans 65 and older now will need long term care. If you don’t prepare for your future, who will? Incapacity planning lets everyone know:
- What type of medical treatments you will allow and in what circumstances
- Who will make additional decisions for you in other situations
At Hopler, Wilms, and Hanna PLLC, we understand that everyone has different levels of comfort with medical procedures. It is challenging to think about medical issues and future death. We know how difficult it is to make these kinds of decisions in advance.
However, without advance preparation for unexpected medical events, someone you don’t trust could be making your future medical and financial decisions.
We Can Help You Prepare
We help you make a plan that includes your:
- Medical Decisions: Advance Directives spell out your desires for medical treatment
- Caregiving: Choose someone to make decisions about future long-term care needs
- Financial: Choose someone to care for your estate while you are living
Our goal is to create a plan that honors your wishes in case you lose the ability to make decisions independently. Go ahead and prepare now for your future. None of us know what comes next. Give your family the gift of a plan to guide them through as they care for you.
Legal Offerings to Protect Your Future
Power of Attorney
(Durable General Power of Attorney)
A Power of Attorney gives specific powers to a named person (known as the agent or attorney-in-fact) to act on your behalf while you are alive. Powers can include:
- Handling financial transactions,
- Making financial gifts,
- Managing insurance policies,
- Selling property, and
- Managing digital assets
- And even more
Powers of Attorney can be put in place immediately or you can choose to have a Power of Attorney go into effect if you become incompetent and unable to make your own decisions. A Power of Attorney has no effect after you pass away.
Health Care Power of Attorney
(Medical Power of Attorney)
A Health Care Power of Attorney allows a named person to make medical decisions on your behalf in the event that you are:
- Unconscious
- Incompetent
- Unable to make decisions on your own
You may want a Health Care Power of Attorney before going into surgery, for example, so the doctors and hospital know who to talk to if needed.
Advance Directive for a Natural Death
(Living Will)
A Living Will details your wishes for achieving a natural death. This includes decisions about:
- Life support
- Artificial nutrition and hydration
- Artificial resuscitation
- Blood transfusions
- Dialysis
- What to do with your body after death
- Organ and tissue donation
Make Your Plan Today
With your wishes in writing, family members do not have to make tough decisions about your care without your input. They can rest assured they are honoring your decisions. And, you can rest assured knowing how your care needs will be met in the future.
We make the incapacity planning process simple. Just get in touch with us and set up your initial consultation and we will help you begin preparing for the rest of your life.
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Incapacity Planning
Whether you need a Power of Attorney, Health Care POA, or Advance Directives that hold up to scrutiny, we can help. Our experienced incapacity planning attorneys ensure that your wishes will be honored in case the unexpected happens.
Don’t let your loved ones wonder what you would want. Instead, make your decisions clear through incapacity planning legal instruments.