Understanding Healthcare Decisions Expressed in Advance Medical Directives

We understand that with everything going on, the last thing you want to consider is your end-of-life care. The topic is often met with scary and unsettling emotions, but we believe that by creating an Advance Medical Directive, you will instead feel empowered.

Advance Medical Directives, also known as Advance Directives, Power of Attorney, and Living Wills, designate how you would like to receive medical care and treatments should you not be able to make the decision yourself. The power of an Advance Medical Directive is that you do not have to place the burden of important healthcare decisions on your loved ones. On the contrary, you can outline the course of actions you wish to take if different situations occur and designate the person who will make these decisions on your behalf. Advance Medical Directives give you the peace of mind you may need during these uncertain times.

As an example, let us consider a person who has fallen ill with COVID-19 and the doctor has recommended putting them on a ventilator. If this person has an Advance Medical Directive, they can dictate the next steps in their medical care. In some cases, the person will have chosen to accept a ventilator and any medical recommendations to sustain life as long as possible. In others, the person will have decided to do a time-limited trial with the ventilator and, after the specified time has passed, they wish to move on to other recommended treatments. And lastly, the person may choose to not receive these types of medical care. Instead, they wish to focus on their overall comfort during this time.

Ultimately, the power is in your hands. With an Advanced Medical Directive, you can remove the burden of loved ones having to make your medical decisions on your behalf.

Our offices remain open and our team is able to remotely provide our full range of estate planning services during this time. Per Governor Hogan’s 4/10 Executive Order, Maryland residents are now able to remotely sign Wills, Revocable Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Advance Directives. If you need assistance, please call us at (410) 296-6777 or email us at staff@pathfinderlawgroup.com. To schedule a Zoom Video Meeting or telephonic, please visit Calendly here for Adam Zimmerman or contact Kelly Krumpe directly at kelly@pathfinderlawgroup.com.