Five Main Types of Advance Medical Directives: An Overview (Pt. 1)

March 25, 2015 Posted In Estate Planning,Medical Directives,Powers of Attorney,Wills
by Colorado Estate Matters

While every adult in the U.S. is entitled to refuse or consent to medical care, knowing what a specific adult individual would prefer for health care can be difficult in the event that adult becomes incapacitated.

Do you know what advance medical directives are and how they can be important? If not, check out this blog series. Or simply contact us today.

Do you know what advance medical directives are and how they can be important? If you are unsure or have questions, please contact Colorado Estate Matters, Ltd. today.

When this occurs, estate planning tools known as advance medical directives can be crucial, as these directives can detail various wishes a person has about medical care and/or end of life decisions.

Taking a closer look at how these directives can be developed and implemented, in this blog series. We will highlight the different types of advance medical directives in Colorado.

When  you are ready to develop any type of advance medical directives,  or if you need any assistance with estate planning and/or probate in Colorado, do not hesitate to contact an experienced and trusted Denver estate planning lawyer at Colorado Estate Matters, Ltd. All of our attorneys are skilled at developing the best estate planning solutions for our clients so they can protect themselves, their families and their future.

Types of Advance Medical Directives

1 – Living Wills

With advance medical directives in the form of living wills, people can specify their wishes regarding:

  • Life-sustaining procedures, namely how or whether these procedures will be administered, withheld or withdrawn in the event people are unconscious, incompetent and/or have a terminal condition. This can include details about artificial nutrition/hydration, surgical procedures, etc.
  • Treatments for persistive vegetative states – While these provisions can detail people’s wishes regarding day-to-day care and whether they want to be candidates for “new” procedures, they can also dictate whether people want to make anatomical gifts (i.e., organ donations).

When advance medical directives are put into living wills, people should know that:

  • They can amend or revoke living wills at any time (as long as they are “competent”).
  • They should provide their loved ones and physicians with the most up-to-date versions of these documents (if or when they are revised).

2 – CPR/DNR Orders

These orders basically inform emergency responders and/or other health care providers about people’s wishes to NOT receive life-saving care in the form of:

  • Chest compression’s and mouth-to-mouth breathing (i.e., CPR)
  • Electric shocks
  • Breathing tubes.

With CPR/DNR orders as advance medical directives, here’s what people should know:

  • These orders should be prominently displayed within people’s homes (so that emergency responders can readily see and comply with them).
  • These orders, like living wills, can be revised and/or revoked at any time so long as the individual who is the subject of them is of sound mind.
  • When people do NOT have these orders in place, medical professionals will assume that life-saving care must be administered.
  • Medical professionals will NOT carry out CPR/DNR orders if they have reason to suspect that these orders are invalid and/or fraud-based.

To get some more important info regarding advance medical directives, be sure to check out the additional parts of this blog series that will be published soon.

Please contact your Denver Estate Planning Attorney at Colorado Estate Matters, Ltd. for help on advanced directives.

Are you ready to develop advance medical directives? Or do you need help with any estate planning issues? If so, you can turn to a trusted estate planning lawyer at Colorado Estate Matters, Ltd.

Contact Us

We can discuss your estate planning needs and different options during our consultation. To schedule this meeting, call us at (303) 713-9147 or email us using the contact form at the top of this page.

From our offices in Denver, we serve clients throughout the southwest and southeast Metro Area, including (but not limited to) people in Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Castle Rock, Parker, Aurora, Greenwood Village, Englewood, Centennial, Wheat Ridge, Golden and Arvada.

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