Advance care planning is not just just for the elderly or ill. People of any age can be faced with a medical crisis from disease or an accident that could leave you unable to communicate or make your own health care wishes.It’s the unknown that makes planning for healthcare decisions in the future an important…
Read MoreI’ll do it tomorrow. We’ve all said it, and most of the time, we have a tomorrow. Sometimes we don’t, and sometimes that thing we wanted to do tomorrow needed to be done yesterday. When talking about planning for your end-of-life care, this should have been done yesterday. What is a Living Will? A living will is…
Read MoreThe purpose of an advanced directive is to ensure the healthcare you receive at the end of your life reflects your personal preferences and values. If you suffered from heart failure and have recovered, you are still at a higher risk of your heart condition worsening. This could happen suddenly, and you may become unable…
Read MoreAdvance Care Planning is Even More Important if You Have Had a Stroke Stroke survivors have weathered one storm, but statistics say that they will likely face more illness. According to the American Heart Association, 25% of the nearly 800,000 Americans who suffered from a stroke in a year are survivors of a previous stroke.…
Read MoreWhy all adults should have a living will A living will is your voice concerning your healthcare when you are no longer able to express yourself. It is a written, legally-binding document, and it guides your doctors’ decisions at the end of your life. Here’s why adults should seriously consider making a living will. Put…
Read MoreCan a family member override an advance directive? One of the greatest benefits of making an advance directive is the peace of mind you get from knowing your healthcare wishes will be followed, even when you can no longer make those decisions yourself. You may be wondering how solid of a document an advance directive really is.…
Read MoreComparing a living will to a will? The various documents you create when planning for the end of your life are often confusing. There is a will, and there is a living will. The two wills are different documents, and they are created for different purposes. What is a living will? A living will is…
Read MoreAn advance directive is a document that lets others know your preferences for health care should you ever be unable to make those decisions yourself. In the advance directive you can appoint someone you trust to make the decisions for you, too. That person is your health care agent. Advance Directives Simplified End-of-life preparation can…
Read MoreDNR stands for “Do Not Resuscitate.” It is a medical order that tells health care providers and emergency medical personnel to not try to restart the patient’s heart using CPR if the patient stops breathing. The DNR order is only about CPR, and has nothing to do with other medical procedures or treatments. CPR treatments…
Read MoreMost people are reluctant to strike up a conversation about death. It’s an uncomfortable topic, but sometimes, it is a necessary topic. If you want to make sure your loved ones understand your thoughts and wishes for your care at the end of your life, you need to talk about it. Here are some helpful…
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