Have You Prepared End-Of-Life Decisions?

“Unless you are a college student partying it up, you have probably given your own mortality a once-over or two during these long COVID-19 days.”

The Conversation Project surveyed Americans about the need for end-of-life directives. About 92% of respondents thought it important to discuss their wishes for end-of-life care and 95% of them are willing to talk about these wishes. However, just 32% have actually gone ahead and had the discussion.

With the threat of COVID-19, there’s a sudden urgency to engaging in discussions of end-of-life treatment. Although the young and healthy are more apt to fight through the illness, the elderly are not likely to survive. It’s hard to put someone on a ventilator and harder to have it removed, when there’s no chance of recovery.

For example, if you didn’t have a healthcare directive and you ended up on a ventilator-but that wasn’t what you wanted- you could live a long time in a nursing home with a very poor quality of life. Without an advance directive and if you’re not able to speak for yourself and haven’t named an agent, the state will appoint a guardian to make these critical decisions. This will be a person who knows nothing about you but will have the authority to make decisions about your health and well-being. If your family is found, and they disagree with the guardian, it can be a big problem.

Give your agent a copy of your health care proxy. You should also give a copy of your proxy to your primary care physician and to anyone else you think should have it. Keep a copy available for yourself. Let your family know where the document can be located. Put a copy on your refrigerator door for easy access.

Your advance directives should provide instructions on the use of a ventilator, tube- feeding, hospice, palliative care and organ donation. It’s not a pleasant topic, but the time to discuss it is before you’re headed for the hospital.

We can help you create or update your estate plan, simply call W. Bailey Smith at (949) 833-8891 or email us today at yourtrustdr.com for more information.

Reference: Florida Today (April 14, 2020) “As COVID-19 spreads, are your end-of-life directives in order?”