Estate planning often starts with determining how you want your assets to be passed on to the next generation. You can name beneficiaries who are supposed to receive specific assets, put certain assets into trusts, set up donations to charities and much more.
But one key thing to keep in mind is that your estate plan can also address your medical future. As you age, that future may become uncertain. There is a chance that you could be incapacitated by a mental condition like Alzheimer’s or dementia, or by a physical condition like a stroke or a heart attack. How do you address this in your estate plan?
Selecting an agent
With a medical power of attorney, you get to determine who you want to be your medical agent. If you are incapacitated in the future, such as if you have a stroke and find yourself in the hospital, your agent can then step in. They can authorize treatment, talk to your doctors and make important decisions. You give them this legal right in advance.
An alternative to this is simply to leave instructions in an advance directive for your medical team. Many people already have a rough idea of certain treatments they do or do not want, such as someone who knows they do not want to be resuscitated. You can put these specific instructions in the document so that your doctors know how to proceed.
Both of these tactics can be helpful, and the key is just to remember that your medical future is an important part of your estate plan. It is helpful to know what legal steps to take while drafting this plan.