What You Should Know about The Importance of Advance Directives

Posted: 12/19/2014 9:48 AM by Interim HealthCare
When you reach a certain point in your life, you will become more attuned to the changes that occur within your mind and body. You may have health issues that arise or notice that you can’t physically do some of the things you used to enjoy. When you may be facing the prospect of hiring home care services or you already have, there are some important decisions that you may need to make.

The first concern should be whether or not your loved ones know what your wishes are for your health care and other considerations. Advance directives consist of any number of documents (legal or otherwise) that can let family or other loved ones know what your wishes happen to be.

For example, if you are disabled due to a stroke tomorrow, would anyone know what bills you may have, where to find financial information, or what you want done with your house, car, or other possessions? If you were alive but unable to communicate, this could leave your loved ones scrambling to find answers, sort through all of your paperwork, and still unable to do what is necessary to protect your assets for you.
A living will can contain valuable information about your wishes with regard to not only your finances but also your health care. Imagine being on life support and not having left any type of advance directive behind for your loved ones. Even though they might assume they know what you’d want, they might not be able to convince doctors or even lawyers that those were your actual wishes.

When it comes to in home health care services, advance directives can help explain the various services that you may approve or not want in the event that you are unable to communicate them to those around you in the future.

You can choose a power of attorney who would be able to write checks, pay bills, and make financial decisions on your behalf. You could also choose a medical power of attorney who would be able to make medical decisions on your behalf, in your best interest.

Anytime that you begin to focus on home care services or the need for them, you should be thinking about advance directives as well. This could provide an important support for your loved ones and assure them of your final wishes, finances, and more.

If you have an aging loved one and are considering home care services, contact Interim HealthCare today. G+