Throughout my years in healthcare, I've encountered many people in emergency situations who either cannot communicate or have no idea where their important documents are. Some wait until it's too late to organize their affairs, leaving their families to handle the stress and chaos after a tragedy. While I don't want to sound overly pessimistic, I've witnessed many families being torn apart after an unexpected loss because there wasn't a clear plan in place.
Don't let this be you or your family. Below, I have listed what most call "The Someday Documents", what they are, why they're important and where you can get them.
Click Below to download your Free Someday Documents Guide
The Someday Documents
Advance Directives: Also known as living wills or medical directives, these documents provide instructions on medical care you or your loved ones wish to receive or avoid. Advance Directives can include instructions about life-sustaining measures, such as whether you or your loved one wants to be put on a ventilator or receive CPR.
You can get an Advanced Directive from:
Your Doctor
Your Attorney
Search by State (Each State has different guidelines)
Your State Health Department
Last Will & Testament: These documents state you or your loved one’s last wishes regarding their estate after they die. There are free wills you can download online, however, most states allows you to make your will "self-proving," and you may need a notary for that. A self-proving will speeds up probate because the court can accept the will without contacting the witnesses who signed it.
You can get a Last Will & Testament from:
FREE Will online
Your Attorney
Courts
Trust Documents: These legal documents allow you or your loved ones to place assets within the trust which is held by a 3rd part for the beneficiaries. Placing assets in a trust can avoid going through a lengthy probate process.
Hiring an Estate Planning Attorney is a must! While you can do most of these DIY, setting up a trust shouldn’t be one of them.
Durable Power of Attorney for healthcare:Â This document gives the person you designate as your Agent the power to make health care decisions for you. It will need to be notarized to be valid and each state has their own rules.
For more information on Durable Power of Attorneys Click Here
Durable Power of Attorney for finances: This document appoints an individual to manage the finances and property of the person being cared for when they are no longer able to do so themselves. It will need to be notarized to be valid and each state has their own rules.
For more information on Durable Power of Attorneys Click Here
DNR (Do Not Resuscitate): This is a medical order written by a health care provider. It instructs providers not to do CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) if a patient’s breathing stops or if the patient’s heart stops beating.
You can only get a DNR from your licensed medical provider, such as a primary care physician.
POLST (Physicians Order for Life Sustaining Treatment):Â This is a medical order from a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant that helps give people with serious illnesses more control over their own care by specifying the types of medical treatment they want to receive during serious illness.
Only health care facilities or health care providers are able to order POLST forms.
For more information on POLST Click Here
Comments