The dog days of summer are upon us in the Washington, DC area and August is a good opportunity to slow down, enjoy the airconditioned indoors, and to make a plan. That is, to make the time to create a plan for your medical, financial, and legal needs that you can readily access.
What Is In a Good Plan?
At a minimum, a good plan should include these documents:
- A healthcare advance directive;
- End-of-life instructions–including a MOST in DC (Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment) or a MOLST in MD (Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment);
- Financial powers of attorney; and
- A will.
What’s the Most Important Document to Have In Your Plan?
Arguably, one of the most important documents to have in your plan is an advance directive, which is the general term for a written statement made by a competent person who indicates their wishes for medical treatment in the event of becoming incapacitated. This is a critical document because its use can minimize the confusion and stress during a medical emergency because your loved ones and medical providers will know your preferences for the type of medical treatment that you would want.
The two most common advance directives for health care are: 1) a living will and 2) a health care power of attorney (also known as a durable power of attorney for health care). A living will is a document that informs medical providers about the specific medical care that you want given or withheld if you cannot make your own decisions about treatment. A durable power of attorney for health care is a document that identifies your health care proxy. It states who will make medical decisions for you, if you are unable to do so, and it can include end-of-life medical care decisions, too. Advance directives are governed by state law and have specific requirements to be valid.
So, enjoy the air-conditioned indoors and set aside some time to make a good plan—it’s one of the coolest things that you can do during these dog days of summer.
Guest written by Paula B. Gibson, Attorney/Mediator at the Gibson Mediation Group, LLC