Christopher B. Kroll & Associates – Elder Law Solutions

     Advance directives are legal documents that allow you to put in writing what kind of health care you would want if you were too ill to speak for yourself.  Advance directives most often include the following:

• A health care proxy (durable power of attorney)

• A living will

• After-death wishes

      A health care power of attorney is used to name the person you wish to make health care decisions for you if you aren’t able to make them yourself.  A living will states which medical treatment you would accept or refuse if your life is threatened.  After-death wishes include choices such as organ and tissue donation.    

     Talking with your family, friends, and health care providers about your wishes is important, but these legal documents ensure that decisions are followed.  It’s better to think about these important decisions before you are ill or a crisis strikes.