St. Petersburg Health Care Directive Attorney
Health care directives allow individuals to take control of their future health care should they become incapacitated or suffer from a terminal illness. Creating a directive today offers tangible benefits, including the comfort of knowing your wishes will be legally respected in the future.
Fisher & Wilsey, P.A. helps clients draft appropriate directives or, if they are already in place, revise them so they better align with current objectives. We can also advise clients if there are current disputes over a health care directive. Contact a St. Petersburg health care directive attorney with our firm for a consultation.
Common Health Care Directives
Losing the ability to communicate is one of the most devastating experiences as we age. Even a younger person could become incapacitated after a tragic accident or illness and be unable to express what care they wish to receive.
With health care directives, individuals can either make binding health care decisions today or appoint someone to make those decisions in the future.
The most common health care directives are:
- Health care surrogate designation
- Living will
- Anatomical donation
- Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNRO)
A person’s reasons for creating a health care directive vary. Some want to avoid aggressive medical treatment which can technically keep them alive for years, even after suffering irreversible brain damage. Others hope to minimize conflicts between children who might have different ideas about what is best for their parent.
Once created, you should share your health care directives with your primary physician and children. Your attorney should also retain a copy in case questions arise.
Health Care Surrogate Designation
A surrogate will either consent to treatment or express the patient’s refusal. Many people name a child or other close relative as their surrogate.
Creating this designation requires thoughtful planning. Our clients can place limitations on their surrogate’s power. The best health care directives are tailored to the needs and desires of the person creating it.
Many individuals struggle with who to name as their surrogate, and our legal team can help you think through different people in your life who might serve. Although you might assume your eldest child is the best choice, they might live too far away or have competing responsibilities, when a younger child might be appropriate. Then we can create this document so that it withstands any scrutiny in court.
Disputes Regarding Health Care Directives
A primary purpose of DNROs, surrogate designations, and living wills is to pre-empt any dispute that can arise when you are on a feeding tube or incapacitated. However, a parent might have created one of these documents when they did not have capacity to do so, or the document is defective in some way.
Friends or family members should discuss their concerns with an experienced attorney. We might determine the advance directive is not legally effective.
Obtain the Advice of Counsel
Fisher & Wilsey, P.A., has served the community for more than 50 years, and we take pride in helping our clients boldly prepare for the future. Call us to speak with a St. Petersburg health care directive attorney.
