Care Planning?

What Is Advance Care Planning?

Advance care planning is not just ers know—both your family and your about old age. At any age, a healthcare providers—about your prefermedical crisis could leave you ences. These preferences are often put too ill to make your own healthcare deciinto an advance directive, a legal docusions. Even if you are not sick now, planment that goes into effect only if you are ning for health care in the future is an incapacitated and unable to speak for important step toward making sure you yourself. This could be the result of disget the medical care you would want, if ease or severe injury—no matter how old you are unable to speak for yourself and you are. It helps others know what type doctors and family members are making of medical care you want. the decisions for you. An advance directive also allows you to Many Americans face questions about express your values and desires related to medical treatment but may not be capaend-of-life care. You might think of it as ble of making those decisions, for exama living document—one that you can ple, in an emergency or at the end of life. adjust as your situation changes because This article will explain the types of deciof new information or a change in your sions that may need to be made in such health. cases and questions you can think about now so you're prepared later. It can help you think about who you would want to make decisions for you if you can't make them yourself. It will also discuss ways you can share your wishes with others. Knowing who you want to make decisions on your behalf and how you would decide might take some of the burden off family and friends. What Is Advance Care Planning? Advance care planning involves learning about the types of decisions that might need to be made, considering those decisions ahead of time, and then letting othAdvance Care Planning Decisions Sometimes decisions must be made about the use of emergency treatments to keep you alive. Doctors can use several artificial or mechanical ways to try to do this. Decisions that might come up at this time relate to: •CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) •Ventilator use •Artificial nutrition (tube feeding) and artificial hydration (IV, or intravenous, fluids) •Comfort care Getting Started with Advance Care Planning Start by thinking about what kind of treatment you do or do not want in a medical emergency. It might help to talk with your doctor about how your current health conditions might influence your health in the future. For example, what decisions would you or your family face if your high blood pressure leads to a stroke? You can ask your doctor to help you understand and think through your choices before you put them in writing. If you don't have any medical issues now, your family medical history might be a clue to help you think about the future. Talk with your doctor about decisions that might come up if you develop health problems similar to those of other family members. Research shows that advance directives can make a difference, and that people who document their preferences in this way are more likely to get the care they prefer at the end of life than people who do not.l This content is provided by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Wills, Trusts & Nursing Home Asset Protection Learn how to Protect your Assets and Provide for your Loved ones

Get Answers to Start Your Estate Plan

At this consultation, we will discuss issues that include: Nursing home costs- the myth of the 昀ve year look back The advantages of Wills, Living Trusts & Probate How to maintain your privacy and protect your estate if you become disabled (Hint: Not all Powers of Attorney are valid) Why putting property in children’s names may be a mistake Protect one’s spouse when the other needs nursing home care Preserve your estate for your kids if your surviving spouse gets married How Probate works and more importantly, how to avoid probate How you can qualify and use Medi-Cal to pay for nursing home expenses Provide for special needs (disabled) children and grandchildren How you may be able to minimize federal and state taxes Get your FREE CONSULTATION

Join the Fastest Growing Industry: Enroll in our Paralegal Certi昀cate Program

Why you Should Enroll in this Program: Fastest Growing Industry with Jobs Available Path to Law School Business Purpose: Start up or Expand your Business Advocacy: Labor Rights, Civil Rights and Immigration Fastest Growing Industry Jobs Available

Choose your Certi昀cate Program: Paralegal and Pre Law Legal Marketing Shop Stewards and Union Leaders Faith Based Leaders and Executive Sta昀

For more information and to register, visit: www.freeparelegal.org www.freeparalegal.org