Planning for the future means making sure your health care wishes are known and that someone you trust can help communicate those wishes if you are unable to make or communicate medical decisions yourself.
An Advance Health Care Directive is an important document that allows you to express your health care preferences and designate a trusted person to act as your health care agent.
At Teuninck & DeBishoppe, we provide professional Advance Health Care Directive document preparation in San Jose and Santa Clara, California. We prepare documents based on the information and direction you provide, helping you organize your health-care wishes as part of your broader personal and estate planning.
What Is an Advance Health Care Directive?
An Advance Health Care Directive is a legal document that allows you to communicate your preferences regarding medical care and designate a person to make health care decisions on your behalf when you are unable to do so.
Your directive can provide instructions about the type of medical treatment you would or would not want under certain circumstances. It can also identify the person you trust to communicate with your doctors and other health care providers.
Having these decisions documented in advance can help your family and health care providers understand your wishes when you may not be able to communicate them yourself.
Why Is an Advance Health Care Directive Important?
Medical emergencies and unexpected situations can happen at any age. An Advance Health Care Directive gives you an opportunity to make your wishes known before an emergency occurs.
A properly prepared directive can help you:
You do not need to be elderly or seriously ill to consider preparing an Advance Health Care Directive. Many adults choose to establish one as part of their overall personal and estate planning.
Choosing Your Health Care Agent
An important part of an Advance Health Care Directive is choosing the person you want to act as your health care agent.
You may want to choose someone who:
It is helpful to discuss your wishes with the person you choose before completing your Advance Health Care Directive.
What Can an Advance Health Care Directive Include?
An Advance Health Care Directive can address your preferences concerning a variety of health care decisions.
Depending on your circumstances and the applicable California form, your directive may include information about:
Your Advance Health Care Directive should reflect your individual wishes and circumstances.
Preparing an Advance Health Care Directive in California
California has specific requirements and terminology relating to Advance Health Care Directives. Using the appropriate California documents and completing them correctly is an important part of the process.
Creating an Advance Health Care Directive generally includes the following steps:
Because individual circumstances vary, anyone who needs legal advice about an Advance Health Care Directive should consult a licensed California attorney.
Advance Health Care Directive vs. Living Will
You may have heard the terms Living Will and Advance Health Care Directive used when discussing future medical care.
A Living Will traditionally focuses on a person's wishes concerning certain medical treatments, particularly end-of-life care. An Advance Health Care Directive can provide broader instructions and can also allow you to designate a health care agent to make decisions on your behalf.
California uses the term Advance Health Care Directive, making it important to use the appropriate California documents for your circumstances.
Common questions, answered honestly.
When Should You Update an Advance Health Care Directive?
Once you have prepared an Advance Health Care Directive, it is a good idea to review it periodically to make sure it continues to reflect your wishes.
You may want to review your directive after significant life changes, including:
Make sure the people who may need your directive know that it exists and know where an appropriate copy can be found.
Teuninck & DeBishoppe for Advance Health Care Directive Preparation in San Jose and Santa Clara
If you are searching for Advance Health Care Directive preparation in San Jose or Santa Clara, California, Teuninck & DeBishoppe provides professional legal document preparation based on your information and instructions.
Contact us to learn more about our Advance Health Care Directive document preparation services. Planning for your future healthcare can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. We can help make the process simple and straightforward, so you can clearly express your wishes and have peace of mind knowing your healthcare preferences are documented.
Call 408-209-3224 to get started.
Please Note: Teuninck & DeBishoppe is a Legal Document Assistant service and is not a law firm. If you need legal advice or have questions about your particular legal situation, please consult a licensed California attorney.