Tampa Living Wills Attorney
A sudden illness or accident can render you incapacitated. You may not be able to communicate your wishes for medical treatment, and family members may have differing views about what is best for you, or your wishes. If you do not have a living will, you may not be able to tell your loved ones your preferences and someone else may make different choices. It is important to draft a living will so your wishes are always respected and so your family members will not have to make difficult choices. Below, our Tampa living wills attorney outlines more information about these important estate planning tools.
What is a Living Will in Tampa?
A living will is an advanced health care directive that informs physicians and loved ones about the medical care you want to receive if you become incapacitated and require ongoing care. A living will includes a set of written decisions you made while you were able to make such decisions and communicate them. A living will can provide critical guidance if you are ever unable to make decisions for yourself in the moment. Your living will is only triggered when you are unable to make decisions on your own, which can include when any of the following applies:
- You are in a coma
- You are unconscious
- You suffer from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia
- You are in a vegetative state
What to Include in a Living Will
You can include many medical preferences in your living will. Some of the most common of these include:
- Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which will restart your heart if it stops beating,
- Tube feeding, where nutrients and fluids are delivered to the body through a stomach tube or intravenously,
- Ventilation, which is a medical device that breathes for you,
- Antiviral medications or antibiotics, which treat infections,
- Dialysis, which removes waste from your system if your kidneys are not functioning properly,
- Palliative care, which manages pain and allows you to live comfortably, and
- Tissue, organ, and body donations, which may require temporary life-sustaining care.
End-of-life care is never easy to think about. However, drafting a living will can ensure that you make the decisions, and that you protect your family from having to make decisions on your behalf without guidance. It is also important to note that you do not need a living will for directives such as Do Not Intubate (DNI) or Do Not Resuscitate (DNR). You can inform your primary care provider of these wishes and they will be included in your medical record. Still, if you do include these advance directives in your living will, you should also inform your primary doctor.
Contact Our Living Wills Attorney in Tampa Today
Thinking about living will and making difficult decisions is something that is easy to put off. Unfortunately, if you do, you will not have the protection you need in the future. At BBDG Law, our Tampa living wills attorney can help you execute this legal document properly to ensure that your wishes are respected if necessary. Call us now at (813) 221-3759 or contact us online to request a consultation and to learn more.