Everyone owns their own body and soul. So, it is a privilege and right every human owns regarding medical needs for the body and soul. The medical directive concerns medical needs in a lifetime, which can arise anytime no one knows. The medical directive allows fulfilling your wishes regarding the medical treatment you prefer to perform on your body. Having a medical directive is peace of mind for you and your family. It can protect your wishes, which may turn into conflict and confusion, and shield your family from making crucial decisions when you can be no longer able. A medical directive can be written as part of a more comprehensive plan or a document for a specific situation.
A medical directive can be useful for people of all ages. It can help clarify your wishes and guide your medical physicians. You can use the medical directive to express your preferences for artificial nutrition, mechanical ventilation, palliative care, organ donation, pain management, life-sustaining treatments, and other types of care. The medical directive allows you to decide whether to withdraw or withhold medical treatments. Medical directives can guide others who need to make decisions about your care, such as family members, friends, and medical professionals.
Medical ethics plays an essential role in decision-making. With an estate plan, it becomes a barrier for doctors in deciding about future treatments when you can speak. Creating Medical directives is the best way to prevent issues among family members and medical providers about how you want to be treated. Many times, debate ends up in court. A medical directive also ensures that your wishes are carried out, whether in a coma or a vegetative state.
Clear communication is the key to creating a medical directive. You should also discuss your wishes and needs with your family members. You might want to ask your family members to make your decisions for you, or you may want to discuss them with close friends. It can also help you prevent the emotional burden of making decisions that may impact your life.
In some scenarios, A medical directive can spell that you will be allowed or not to receive specific medical procedures. For instance, you may want to be offered invasive tests, but you may want to avoid undergoing a painful surgical procedure. You can also specify in your Medical directive whether you would like your body to be donated to scientific research. If you do, be sure to let the medical professionals involved know.
Any agreement you make would indirectly impact your overall estate planning goal, including wealth and inheritance. Medical treatments are not cheap, so it’s crucial to consider how you would be treated medically based on your situation. You cannot imagine the possibility of incapacity, but having a Medical directive ensures that your wishes will be honored.
The documents should be kept in a fire and theft-safe place, and copies should be given to your family physicians and agents. If traveling most often, it’s also important to ensure that your Medical directive is valid in other countries or jurisdictions. You can learn about Medical directives by visiting Wassiyyah, the estate planning service. Wassiyyah offers jurisdiction (i.e., state, province, territory) and country-specific Medical directives.