Advance Health Care Directives in CA

Legal Counsel From a Southern California Estate Planning Attorney

Although death is an inevitable part of life, many of us are reluctant to face the fact that we are not going to live forever and plan for our end-of-life care. By making end-of-life choices early on, you can improve the quality of your life in the future and ease the burden on your family later on. Discussing and preparing an Advance Health Care Directive with your loved ones offers the best assurance that decisions regarding your future medical care will reflect your own wishes.

Why Do I Need an Advance Health Care Directive?

It can be difficult to discuss the type of care and treatment you would like to have in the event you are incapable of making those health care decisions. And while there are certainly aspects of your future that you cannot control, be it an accident or severe illness, there are ways that you can plan for the unexpected and ensure that your wishes are respected. By completing an Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) you can plan for the unexpected and continue making decisions for yourself.

• An Advance Health Care Directive provides the following options:
• Power of Attorney – This option allows you to give either a trusted friend or family member power of attorney, allowing them to make care and treatment decisions on your behalf.
• Detailed Instructions – An advance health care directive allows you to provide your agent detailed instructions as to your wishes regarding the use of life support during your incapacity.
• A Mixture of Both – You appoint someone and give them power of attorney, but then also provide detailed instructions about your desired care and treatment.

Once the paperwork has been completed, be sure to take a copy to your primary physician and ask for it to be placed in your medical records. Additionally, be sure to give a copy to your agent (if you have appointed one) and keep a copy for your own personal records.

Let Sandoval Legacy Group, a division of Holstrom, Block & Parke, A Professional Law Corporation, Walk You Through It

Advance Health Care Directives and living wills are not complicated, but the content can be complex and should be thought through very carefully. Contact the family law offices of Sandoval Legacy Group for more information on estate planning and advance health care directives. These topics may be uncomfortable to talk about, but our knowledgeable and compassionate attorneys will gently walk you through various scenarios and create an advance health care directive that reflects your beliefs and desires.