Advance Healthcare Directive
Work with lawyers who care about you and your family
The focus at The Keller Law Firm is on family. We want to make sure you and your family plan for all eventualities, and this includes thinking about healthcare options and end-of-life decisions. We understand how complicated and difficult these decisions can be and our goal is to help you make decisions now, so your family does not have to weigh the options for you in the future.
What is a healthcare directive?
An advanced care directive is a legal document that specifies your decisions about your healthcare in the future. The document identifies the people to whom you give authority to make decisions should you become unable to do so.
A healthcare directive is completely different from a power of attorney for property, which only covers legal and financial matters. The person or persons you choose in an advance health directive will be responsible for critical healthcare decisions. It is important for you to talk with the person or people you have chosen and carefully specify your wishes. The Keller Law Firm regularly prepares advance healthcare directives and is ready to help you with yours.
How do I create an advance healthcare directive?
An advance healthcare directive is a legal document that must be executed correctly to be valid. The form must:
Be completed by you while you are competent to do so
Indicate your agent (the person or persons you choose to make decisions)
Indicate your decision about life-prolonging treatments
Indicate your wishes about pain relief
Discuss organ donation if you wish
Discuss all other wishes you want to make known
Be signed by you
Be signed by an ombudsman if you are in a nursing home
It is essential that the language you use is clear and specific so there can be no question about your wishes. Our attorneys help you make these decisions and then express them in a way that is clear and legally enforceable.