Let Someone Know Your Medical Wishes For National Healthcare Decisions Day

National Healthcare Decisions Day is on April 16th, and it’s an important reminder for every adult in the Bay Area to let someone know their most private wishes about medical treatments and possible end-of-life care.

Far too many people assume that their families would make the choices they would want in an emergency.  Yet every day we hear stories of adult children, siblings, or other relatives battling during a health care crisis over “what their loved one would have wanted” in that situation.

The Terry Schiavo case is a great example of this. At the young age of 26, Schiavo suffered sudden cardiac arrest and slipped into a permanent a vegetative state.  She never documented her wishes about things like feeding tubes, life support, and long-term quality of life, leaving her family to battle for years over these questions in court.

Her husband eventually had her feeding tube removed claiming, “That’s what she would have wanted.”  But was it really?  We’ll never know, because Terry didn’t make her healthcare wishes known to her closest family and friends.

But it’s not enough to just tell someone about your wishes.  You need to clearly document your preferences, too.  Remember, emotions can run high during a health care crisis, and it might be hard for your loved ones to stop life support when they desperately want you around.  Having your wishes spelled out in writing helps make these types of decisions easier for your loved ones, especially in cases when other family members don’t agree.

So in honor of National Health Care Decisions Day, I encourage you to start tough conversations with loved ones about your personal medical preferences for medical or long-term care.  Here are some important questions to consider:

• What are your thoughts on feeding tubes, life support, and other artificial life saving devices?
• Is there any type of medical care you would NEVER want?
• If you were permanently disabled or incapacitated, what things would contribute or take away from your “quality of life”?
• Who do you trust to make important medical decisions if you are unable to speak for yourself?
• What are your thoughts on nursing home vs. in-home health care?  Who would you trust to manage your long-term care?

These are not the most fun conversations to have, but they will help to ensure that your most personal wishes are honored in a true medical emergency.  Talk them over with loved ones and get something in writing that spells out your wishes and the care you want if something happens to you.  If you have questions, talk to your attorney and get something in writing before an unforeseen emergency strikes.

Ready to document your most personal health care decisions for National Health Care Decisions Day? Give our Menlo Park law firm a call at (650) 422-3313 and ask to schedule a free Legacy Planning Session during the month of April.