Hi, I want to talk to you a little bit about what a medical directive is. And a medical directive is that document that actually states your intention and your direction about you physically.
Now on the East Coast of the country, they’re more likely termed living wills. On the West Coast of the country, they’re more likely referred to as medical directives. And they are exactly that, a directive.
If I was able to talk to you, the doctor, here’s who I’d want you to take direction from. Like, first of all, please talk to my spouse or life partner or my mom. Those are the people agent that I’m going to name that has the power to walk into the doctor’s office and make medical decisions for me. You have so many wonderful choices to make around those directives. And some of the big topics that are covered in a medical directive is who will the doctor take direction from?
Now, don’t think that you’ve put this person in the very awkward position of making all your medical decisions. Usually, they never come into that power until something’s happened to you, until you’ve been deemed incapacitated, you’re in that coma, you’ve had a serious car accident, or you’re 85 years old and now you have Alzheimer’s or dementia. So that form says what you would like to have happen if you were able and functioning to talk to the doctor.
So your agent isn’t the person making those hard decisions. They’re the person walking into the doctor’s office on your behalf and making the doctor do what you have already decided you want done.
So what are the big things in that document that you want to make a decision around?
The first thing is, is that people will choose to that classic, I want the plug pulled, or I want to, I’m coming out of that coma, do not unplug life support. I will tell you that, there’s a great number of people as they age, they more or less having watched folks go, they have more inclined to push that button that says, go ahead and take me off life support. And that’s almost always, of course, after you’ve been deemed incapacitated with no expectation of survival or resuming any kind of life expectancy. And don’t worry, doctors are super smart. They know the difference between unconscious and coma, so they’re not going to pull any plugs while you’re just unconscious.
The next big thing that you decide is what kind of burial or funeral arrangements do you want? Sometimes people know and sometimes they don’t. And if you know, like you’ve bought a plot, you know you want to be cremated, you know you want your ashes spread either at the top of Yosemite Mountain or somewhere at Mountain Inn in Yosemite or at the ocean or like one client, they want their ashes in the Ganges. So you write down those specific directions if you want to make sure the people behind you are honoring your wishes. The document allows your family to go get you at the morgue and bury you and proceed with the wishes that you’ve put on the document.
The next big thing you’ll have to decide is whether or not you want organ donation or not. And some people are really, really most medical people, most scientists almost always say, yeah, if you want the organ, great. Your largest organ, by the way, is your skin. And it is in high demand, especially for car accidents and fire victims. And so that is a big deal. Your corneas, if you’re able to see, your eyes are a big in demand and any functioning healthy organ is in demand. So if you’re comfortable with it and you want organ donation, that’s fine. I have seen some forums where they actually allow you to pick transplant only, any medical purpose. Are “any purpose” allowed under law? What is that allowed mean?
Well, transplant only means you’re going to help someone see, you’re going to help someone with a lung, you’re going to help somebody with your heart or your kidneys or your liver or your skin or your bone.
For any medical purpose that could be now we’re going to help doctors understand how to be doctors and do all of their practicum.
And then the last thing, any purpose under law. I didn’t know what that was until I had somebody explain it to me.There are two boneyards in the United States of America where criminology science explores how a body decays over time in the weather, et cetera. So that’s what’s meant by any purpose under law.
So it’s yours to choose. You can choose whatever you like. Every choice you make and sign the document is changeable at any time, as long as you’re competent. The last box you see on those documents is “even though I’m able to make my own medical decisions right now, I’m still authorizing my agent to make those decisions for me.” And the only reason someone actually checks that is if they’ve had an early diagnosis of something degenerative, like lupus or MS or ALS or dementia. And so those are special boxes for people that are dealing with an early diagnosis of something really big. That’s all for today.
Go get your health directive. It’s an important document to have. And even if your kids are only 18, it’s important in most states to have them, even for those kids who are over 18. Thanks for now.
Video Summary:
A medical directive, also known as a living will, is a vital estate planning document that protects your healthcare wishes if you become incapacitated. This legal document names a trusted agent to make medical decisions on your behalf, ensuring your personal values and preferences are followed. A medical directive typically covers crucial topics like end-of-life care, life support choices, funeral or burial arrangements, and organ or body donation for research or education.
Creating a medical directive is important for people of all ages, not just seniors, because unexpected illnesses or accidents can happen at any time. Plus, it can be updated whenever you remain mentally competent, allowing flexibility as your wishes change. By having a clear medical directive in place, you can reduce stress on your family during difficult times and preserve your dignity and autonomy. Protect your future today with a thoughtfully prepared living will.
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