2006-11-11T19:34:20Z If you die today, who will take care of your children, will they be wards of the state depending on charity? What can you do to protect the ones you love! tag:legalhelpmate.com,2008:5 ©2004-2005 Legal Helpmate Corp. - Legal Document Service. 2006-11-11T19:34:20Z 2006-11-11T00:00:00Z 2006-11-11T00:00:00Z

The hard part is choosing the right person. You want an agent who's persistent, intelligent and confident -- someone who'll push doctors for more information, be smart enough to assess conflicting medical recommendations and decisive enough to make choices some members of your family may disagree with. Your health care agent must understand your wishes and be capable of carrying them out, regardless of his or her own feelings.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com There's no simpler estate planning document than a health care proxy in which you name someone to make medical decisions for you if you're incapacitated. You can pick up a standard proxy form for $2.50 at any legal stationery store and fill it in without a lawyer's help. 2006-09-20T21:24:50Z 2006-09-20T00:00:00Z 2006-09-20T00:00:00Z

An "advance directive" is a written instruction such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care recognized under state law relating to the provision of health care when the individual is incapacitated.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) is a federal law passed by Congress in 1990 which requires providers to inform all adult patients about their rights to accept or refuse medical or surgical treatment and the right to execute an "advance directive. 2006-09-20T21:24:15Z 2006-09-06T00:00:00Z 2006-09-06T00:00:00Z

The hard part is choosing the right person. You want an agent who's persistent, intelligent and confident -- someone who'll push doctors for more information, be smart enough to assess conflicting medical recommendations and decisive enough to make choices some members of your family may disagree with. Your health care agent must understand your wishes and be capable of carrying them out, regardless of his or her own feelings.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com There's no simpler estate planning document than a health care proxy in which you name someone to make medical decisions for you if you're incapacitated. You can pick up a standard proxy form for $2.50 at any legal stationery store and fill it in without a lawyer's help. 2006-09-20T21:23:36Z 2006-08-22T00:00:00Z 2006-08-22T00:00:00Z

On the other hand, people use a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care to appoint someone to make all healthcare decisions, limited by certain elections regarding deathbed issues.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com A Living Will is a legal document addressing only deathbed considerations; a client unilaterally declares his/her desire that life-prolonging measures be discontinued when there is no hope of ultimate recovery. 2006-09-20T21:22:44Z 2006-08-08T00:00:00Z 2006-08-08T00:00:00Z

But if you don't have a health-care proxy and a living will, they're likely to suffer for it while you"re alive - and so are you.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com If you don't write a will, your loved ones will pay for it after you're gone. 2006-09-20T21:22:01Z 2006-07-25T00:00:00Z 2006-07-25T00:00:00Z

Artificial nutrition and hydration" means the provision of nutrients or fluids by a tube inserted in a vein, under the skin in the subcutaneous tissues, or in the stomach (gastrointestinal tract).

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com Many serious illnesses such as cancer, failure of major organs (kidney, heart, liver, or lung), and serious brain disease such as Alzheimer's dementia may be considered irreversible early on. 2006-09-20T21:21:29Z 2006-07-10T00:00:00Z 2006-07-10T00:00:00Z

The hard part is choosing the right person. You want an agent who's persistent, intelligent and confident -- someone who'll push doctors for more information, be smart enough to assess conflicting medical recommendations and decisive enough to make choices some members of your family may disagree with. Your health care agent must understand your wishes and be capable of carrying them out, regardless of his or her own feelings.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com There's no simpler estate planning document than a health care proxy in which you name someone to make medical decisions for you if you're incapacitated. You can pick up a standard proxy form for $2.50 at any legal stationery store and fill it in without a lawyer's help. 2006-09-20T21:20:50Z 2006-06-18T00:00:00Z 2006-06-18T00:00:00Z

1. that may be treated, but is never cured or eliminated; 2. that leaves a person unable to care for or make decisions for the person's ownself; and 3. that, without life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with the prevailing standard of medical care, is fatal.

Legal helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com Artificial nutrition and hydration" means the provision of nutrients or fluids by a tube inserted in a vein, under the skin in the subcutaneous tissues, or in the stomach (gastrointestinal tract). "Irreversible condition" means a condition, injury, or illness: 2006-09-20T21:20:14Z 2006-06-02T00:00:00Z 2006-06-02T00:00:00Z

"Terminal condition" means an incurable condition caused by injury, disease, or illness that according to reasonable medical judgment will produce death within six months, even with available life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with the prevailing standard of medical care.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com Life-sustaining treatment means treatment that, based on reasonable medical judgment, sustains the life of a patient and without which the patient will die. The term includes both life-sustaining medications and artificial life support such as mechanical breathing machines, kidney dialysis treatment, and artificial hydration and nutrition. The term does not include the administration of pain management medication, the performance of a medical procedure necessary to provide comfort care, or any other medical care provided to alleviate a patient's pain. 2006-09-20T21:19:20Z 2006-05-17T00:00:00Z 2006-05-17T00:00:00Z

The hard part is choosing the right person. You want an agent who's persistent, intelligent and confident -- someone who'll push doctors for more information, be smart enough to assess conflicting medical recommendations and decisive enough to make choices some members of your family may disagree with. Your health care agent must understand your wishes and be capable of carrying them out, regardless of his or her own feelings.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com There's no simpler estate planning document than a health care proxy in which you name someone to make medical decisions for you if you're incapacitated. You can pick up a standard proxy form for $2.50 at any legal stationery store and fill it in without a lawyer's help. 2006-09-20T21:18:25Z 2006-05-01T00:00:00Z 2006-05-01T00:00:00Z

On the other hand, people use a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care to appoint someone to make all healthcare decisions, limited by certain elections regarding deathbed issues.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com A Living Will is a legal document addressing only deathbed considerations; a client unilaterally declares his/her desire that life-prolonging measures be discontinued when there is no hope of ultimate recovery. 2006-09-20T21:17:31Z 2006-04-17T00:00:00Z 2006-04-17T00:00:00Z

If you are competent and able to communicate, you may tell your doctor that you do not want extraordinary means or artificial nutrition or hydration used to keep you alive if there is no reasonable hope of recovery.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com Your Rights You have a basic right to control the decisions about your medical care, including the decision to have extraordinary means or artificial nutrition or hydration withheld or withdrawn if your condition is terminal and incurable or if you are in a persistent vegetative state. 2006-09-20T21:17:00Z 2006-04-04T00:00:00Z 2006-04-04T00:00:00Z

Destroying the original and all copies of your living will may revoke your living will as a practical matter. However, if you have discussed this issue with your doctor, be sure to tell your doctor that you have revoked your living will.

Legal Helpmate http://www.legalhelpmate.com You may revoke your living will by communicating this desire to your doctor. You may use any means available to communicate your intent to revoke. Your mental or physical condition is not considered, so you do not need to be of sound mind. Someone acting on your behalf may also tell your doctor that you want to revoke your living will. Revocation is effective only after your doctor has been notified.