Sometimes, people draft advance directives due to medical necessity. They have pressing medical challenges that could lead to their hospitalization or incapacitation. Healthcare providers may recommend the creation of an advance directive for someone beginning chemotherapy treatment for cancer, for example.
Other times, people preparing for retirement or putting together their first estate plan recognize that an advance directive is a useful estate plan inclusion. Advance directives allow people to address future medical issues in case they can not directly discuss their medical wishes with healthcare professionals.
What medical issues can people address in their Minnesota advance directives?
What care they receive and where
Many people have specific wishes regarding the medical interventions they receive. Those with certain religious values may feel strongly about avoiding certain types of care, such as medications developed using stem cell research. Some people do not want heroic interventions if their health declines. Others, such as those with young children at home, may want to receive as much support as possible. Advance directives allow people to provide specific guidance about the treatment they receive when they are incapacitated. They can even name professionals or facilities that they would prefer to have provide their care.
Who makes their medical choices
Only married adults have someone capable of handling medical matters on their behalf in an emergency. Unmarried individuals and those who want to take the strain off of a spouse in an emergency can benefit from advance directives. An advance directive can name trusted individuals to hold medical authority when someone cannot express their wishes on their own behalf. The document can even provide guidance regarding how those individuals make medical decisions.
What happens after someone dies
Advance directives can include provisions for scenarios in which medical challenges prove fatal. An advance directive can provide guidance regarding someone’s funeral and burial preferences. It can also include instructions about anatomical gifts. Families often feel anxious about addressing those concerns without the input of the deceased individual.
Adding advance directives to Minnesota estate plans can be a useful decision for those with unique wishes or pressing medical challenges. Advance directives can take the pressure off of family members while giving the person drafting them protection if their health declines.