Parkinson’s Disease and Advance Directives: Planning for Future Healthcare Decisions
Receiving a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis can bring questions about treatment, daily activities, and what life may look like in the years ahead. Legal planning may not be the first thing someone thinks about, particularly when they are still managing their own care and making decisions independently. Parkinson’s is a progressive condition, but it does not […]
What Estate Planning Documents Do You Really Need?
Estate planning involves more than deciding who will inherit your property. It also means choosing who can make decisions for you, how your finances will be handled, and what medical care you would want if you could no longer speak for yourself. You may have heard of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance healthcare […]
What Is a Psychiatric Advance Directive?
Advance directives are commonly used to plan for future healthcare decisions if someone becomes unable to make or communicate those decisions themselves. A psychiatric advance directive has a more specific purpose. It allows someone to plan ahead for mental health treatment in case a future crisis makes it difficult or impossible to make those decisions […]
Advance Directive FAQ’s: Answering the Most Common Questions
You may know that an advance directive can help communicate your wishes if you cannot speak for yourself. Still, knowing that you should have one does not necessarily answer all the questions that come with it. Is a living will the same thing? When does an advance directive actually take effect? What happens if you […]
HIPAA and Advance Directives: What’s the Connection?
You can have a healthcare power of attorney, a living will, a HIPAA authorization, and paperwork from your doctor’s office, and each one serves a different purpose. A healthcare power of attorney can give someone authority to make healthcare decisions for you when necessary. A living will records your wishes about certain medical care. A […]
Advance Directives and Dementia: Why Earlier Conversations Matter
A dementia diagnosis can bring a long list of questions. What will change? How quickly will it happen? What kind of help may be needed later? It can also raise questions about future healthcare decisions. If there comes a time when you cannot make or communicate those decisions yourself, who would you want to speak […]
The Patient Self-Determination Act: Understanding Your Advance Directive Rights
If you have ever been admitted to a hospital and been asked whether you have an advance directive, there is a reason that question comes up. The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) is a federal law that requires certain healthcare organizations participating in Medicare or Medicaid to inform adult patients about their healthcare decision-making rights. The […]
What Does the National Council on Aging Say About Advance Directives?
Advance directives may seem like something to consider later in life. An unexpected illness or injury, however, can affect your ability to communicate your healthcare wishes at any age. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) makes this point in its guidance on advance directives. Planning ahead gives you the opportunity to make your voice part […]