FPC #2: Advance Health Care Directives

When you are down for the count, who will be calling the shots for you? You can control what happens, if you know about advance health care directives.

• Why is HIPAA important to your estate plan?
• Where should a HIPAA authorization appear, in which documents?
• Where do the most deaths occur, in hospitals or nursing homes?
• Is incapacity more popular these days?
• What problems arise when health care decisions fall upon family members?
• What are the consequences of a family member making a health care decision, both personally and to the family?
• What are the consequences of failure to make a health care decision, including financial?
• Can you help alleviate guilt by leaving detailed end-of-life instructions?
• Can you identify individual family members who are better able to decide correctly? Do they live near you?
• If you are deemed unlikely to regain capacity, would you want artificial means of life support beyond nutrition and hydration? Would you want nutrition and hydration? What level of pain relief?
• Would you want to donate your organs and tissues? Any conditions and restrictions?
• Who is your primary care physician? Is that more or less permanent?
• Any special requirements for executing a health care directive in a skilled nursing facility (SNF)?

This is one of the focus topics we present on a revolving basis at our weekly “guntrust Challenge” competitions — part shooting match, part quiz show.

So come visit our Family Protection Clinic and gain expertise on estate planning and self-defense!