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Estate Planning Attorneys, Tucson, Arizona
Health Care Directives
Advanced health care directives help ensure that your wishes
are carried out in the event you cannot communicate. There are several
types of directives, described below. It is important to talk about your
advance directives with your family, your agent, and your medical providers, and
to make sure that they understand your wishes. It’s also important to give
them copies of the documents.
Health Care Power of
Attorney
A durable health care power of attorney allows you to name
one or more people who will make health care decisions on your behalf if you’re
incapable of making decisions yourself. Your representative, called an
agent, steps into your shoes and has the same power to make medical treatment
choices you would have. If you wish, you can name co-agents, and you also
can name successor agents if your first choice is unavailable or declines to
accept appointment as an agent. Further, you can indicate your preferences
for organ donation and your agent’s power to approve of an autopsy.
Living Will
A living will is a document in which you make known your
choices about medical treatment in the event of a terminal condition, a
persistent vegetative state or an irreversible coma, and you are unable to speak
for yourself.
Mental Health Care Power of
Attorney
In a mental health care power of attorney, you designate a
person or persons as your agent to appear with you in the unlikely event you
become subject to a commitment proceeding.
A health care power of attorney, living
will and mental health care power of attorney are often executed in conjunction
with an overall estate plan that also includes a living
trust and a Will.
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"Your representative, called an agent, steps into
your shoes and has the same power to make medical treatment choices you would
have."
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