What is an advance healthcare directive?

An advance healthcare directive can be included as part of an estate plan to help an estate planner prepare for end-of-life decision making. It is can important part of the estate planner preparing for the possibility of incapacity and estate planners should be familiar with what to include in an advance healthcare directive.

The basics of an advance healthcare directive

There are several documents that can be included in an estate plan to help address incapacity including powers of attorney and an advance healthcare directive or living will. Including these documents in an estate plan can help the estate planner and their family and loved ones rest more easy and assured that these decisions will not have to made without any guidance from the estate planner if they become incapacitated at the end of life.

At its most basic level, an advance healthcare directive can include the wishes of the estate planner related to their medical care and end of life medical care and treatment. It can include what medical care and treatment the estate planner wants to receive or does not want to receive. Instructions the estate planner may wish to include in their advance directive can relate to the use of breathing machines; if the estate planner wants to be resuscitated if their breathing or heart stops; the use of dialysis; having a feeding tube; and organ tissue or donation.

Estate planning has many important facets and estate planners should understand all those components when developing a comprehensive estate plan for themselves. It can be challenging to think about these considerations but estate planning tools allow estate planners to address them in a straightforward manner that is helpful to them and best for their families.