Advance Directives Bring Peace of Mind to Minnesotans
It’s natural to put off making decisions about end-of-life care, especially if you’re currently healthy. It’s easy for estate planning work to fall to the bottom of your to-do list.
But having an advance directive in place is important. If you have one, you and your loved ones will be prepared—maybe even empowered—in the event of an illness, accident or sudden health event.
What Is an Advance Directive?
An advance directive describes how you would like healthcare decisions to be handled. It is a written document that is referenced when you cannot speak for yourself.
Advance directives can take many forms, including living wills, health care powers of attorney, and do-not-resuscitate orders (DNRs). It is important for individuals to understand the specific forms of advance directives that are available in their state and to ensure that their advance directives are up-to-date and reflect their current wishes.
For example, imagine that you took a hard fall and were knocked unconscious. In that case, your advance directive can provide direction. It can cover things like:
- Your goals, wishes and values regarding healthcare
- Types of medical treatment you want or don’t want, including your preferences on things like artificial nutrition, ventilators and resuscitation
- Information about where you want to receive care
In Minnesota, the legal term for an advance directive is “healthcare directive.” People sometimes also use the terms “living will” or “durable power of attorney for healthcare.” In Minnesota, these two are combined into one document.
End-of-Life Decisions Are Challenging: That’s Why Advance Directives Are Important
Advance directives provide direction for your family at a time when they may be feeling overwhelmed and confused. Your loved ones may have every intention of doing what’s best for you, but if they don’t know what you want, that can be challenging.
Leaving an advance directive spells things out to help make their hard choices slightly easier. It gives your family a clear message on what choices you would make for yourself.
The role of an advance directive is to ensure that an individual’s wishes for medical treatment are respected and carried out if they cannot make decisions for themselves. An advance directive can provide peace of mind and help to reduce the stress and confusion that can arise when making medical decisions in an emergency situation.
This can be especially critical for end-of-life care. Family members are often asked whether the hospital care team should go to extraordinary measures to save your life. This can sometimes mean that your future quality of life could be poor. Having an advance directive in place lets you make that decision.
Advance Directives Assist When Family Dynamics Are Complex
Advance directives can help things go smoothly, even if there are complicated family dynamics. Consider two siblings with a single parent on life support. If the siblings have opposing views on whether or not to stop life support, what should the healthcare professionals do? A written advance directive can provide clarity in these situations.
Or let’s say you’re estranged from your family. In an emergency, the estranged next of kin could be put in charge of your healthcare decisions. With an advance directive, you could appoint someone you trust to make those decisions instead. This is ideal when your “chosen family” knows you better than your biological family does.
Get the End-Of-Life Planning Guidance You Need
Advance directives are an important part of estate planning and end-of-life planning, and it is important for individuals to consider their wishes for medical treatment and to create an advance directive to ensure that their wishes are carried out. Consulting with an experienced attorney can help ensure that advance directives are created effectively and that individuals understand their legal rights and responsibilities.
If you’re considering an advance directive and need guidance from an experienced Minnesota lawyer, we can help. Get started by calling our Elk River offices at 763-241-0477 or sending us a message.
