Advance Directives Attorney in Lima, Ohio

What Is an Advance Directive (Living Will)?

An advance directive gives your healthcare providers and family members instructions for providing medical care for you in the event that you become incapacitated due to illness or injury. An advance directive also allows you to name someone (a healthcare representative) who can make decisions on your behalf.

An advance directive is designed to help protect your well-being as you age or if you become seriously ill. Generally speaking, this document outlines specific instructions related to the kind of medical treatment you want—or don’t want—in the case of a serious illness or injury. It allows you to express your wishes regarding life-saving measures such as CPR, intubation, ventilator use, dialysis, blood transfusions, and organ donation. Having this document on file with your physician ensures that all parties involved are aware of your wishes ahead of time.

Healthcare Representative

A healthcare representative is someone whom you choose to carry out your wishes regarding medical care in the event of incapacity or illness. This person should be someone who knows what kind of medical care or treatments you would want under certain circumstances. It could be a family member, friend, lawyer, or another trusted individual. Your healthcare representative must be 18 years old or older and have the capacity to understand the nature of their role.

Your healthcare representative has several responsibilities when it comes to making decisions on your behalf regarding medical care and treatments. They must follow any written instructions that appear in your advance directive document and consult with a doctor regarding any matters not addressed in the document. Additionally, they must act according to any verbal directions given by you prior to becoming incapacitated, such as refusals for treatments like dialysis, antibiotics, CPR, etc. Your healthcare representative may also need access to financial resources if needed for paying for medical treatments like medications or home healthcare services.

Do-Not-Resuscitate Directive (DNR) and Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST)

When creating an advance directive, a DNR and/or MOLST may be worth considering as additions to your plan:

• A Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) order is one type of advance directive used by individuals who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness or have entered hospice care. This document explicitly states that no extraordinary measures should be taken in the event of cardiac arrest or respiratory failure. Instead, it grants permission for healthcare providers to allow death due to natural causes without attempting life-saving interventions such as CPR or intubation.
• Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) is another type of advance directive designed specifically for patients with serious illnesses who may be nearing end-of-life care but are still able to make decisions about their own treatment plans. This form spells out treatments that will—and will not—be provided in the event that they lose their ability to communicate their wishes directly with their healthcare provider or family members. MOLST forms often include detailed instructions about nutrition, respiration support, and other treatments such as antibiotics or wound-care interventions.

By understanding these two common types of advance directives, you can make sure that all necessary arrangements have been made before any difficult situations arise down the line.

Modifying Your Advance Directive

It’s possible for you to modify your advance directive at any time by speaking with an attorney about revoking it entirely or amending its contents. It is critical that all changes to an advance directive—or any other estate planning document, for that matter—are properly documented so there is no confusion over what should happen in cases of emergency situations where you are unable to make decisions yourself due to incapacity.

How Can an Attorney Help You?

Hiring an attorney to assist you with creating an advance directive has several advantages over creating one yourself with DIY tools or online forms. First and foremost, attorneys are skilled in understanding and interpreting complex laws—especially those related to civil rights and end-of-life issues—so they can ensure that your wishes will be legally recognized and binding when needed.

Additionally, attorneys have deep knowledge of local laws regarding advanced directives—for example, some states require witnesses while others do not—and they’ll help ensure that all required steps are taken as part of creating yours. Finally, attorneys can provide valuable advice on how to best protect family members from financial burdens after one passes away.