COVID-19 Preparations: Make Sure Your Advance Healthcare Directive Is Current

ByPhyllis Zimbler Miller

While it is the fervent hope of individuals, families, governments and countries that you won’t become so ill with COVID-19 that your Advance Healthcare Directive (in some states known as a Healthcare Power of Attorney or Living Will) may need to come into effect — having an up-to-date Advance Healthcare Directive is an important part of individual pandemic planning.

Adults of all ages should have a witnessed or notarized Advance Healthcare Care Directive, and it is particularly important for those at high-risk from COVID-19.

What is an Advance Healthcare Directive and what does it allow to be carried out?

The person (or persons) named in your Advance Healthcare Directive is allowed to make medical decisions for you if you are not able mentally or physically to make your own healthcare decisions such as whether to have emergency surgery.

Do think carefully who those people are (reviewing these people every few years is a good idea). You may not want to ask people who find it difficult to make decisions of any kind. Nor do you want to ask people who live elsewhere and who would have difficulty with long-distance consultations.

CONSULT YOUR STATE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION OR YOUR OWN ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY TO OBTAIN A LEGAL ADVANCE HEALTHCARE DIRECTIVE.

Other documents to consider especially during a global pandemic:

  1. Older people especially should consider whether they want a DO NOT RESUSCITATE order in their medical records.
  2. Consider executing a Power of Attorney for someone else to handle your financial affairs if you are incapacitated by illness.

Self-Isolating: Good Time to Consider Your Long-Term Estate Planning

There is nothing like a global pandemic to remind us all that so many conditions are out of our control. The one thing we can do is prepare for the end of our lives so that our ideas, assets and love are passed on to the next generations as seamlessly as a well-executed estate plan can provide.

Read this article why a living trust is needed in addition to a will.

And read these other articles on estate planning including business succession.

In the meantime, make sure you have an up-to-date Advance Healthcare Directive that we all hope ends up NOT having to be used!