Health Care Decision Making
A "living will" refers to a document that contains instructions regarding what type of health-care decisions you would like made on your behalf if you are ever in a situation where you are unable to make those health care decisions on your own. The person you appoint to be in charge of making medical decisions on your behalf is referred to as your "health care representative" and they are appointed through the use of a health care representative designation. Furthermore In order for a third-party to make good decisions about your health care, they need to access medical records and information regarding your condition. In order to get that access, they need a document giving them permission to see your medical records that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This is commonly referred to as a "HIPAA Release."
Indiana law allows a living will, health care representative designation and HIPAA release to all be combined into one document. At Schulz Harrison, LLC, we refer to this document as an Advance Directive. You should consider an Advance Directive that appoints a health care representative you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are ever unable to do so on your own. Your Advance Directive can include specific instructions regarding end-of-life choices, such as under what circumstances you would want pain medication to be provided even if it meant shortening your life, under what circumstances you would like to avoid being resuscitated if your heart stops, whether you want to remain in your home as opposed to a hospital as you go through the dying process, when you do and do not wish to receive nutrients or hydration by medical intervention if you are unable to drink or eat, and a host of other instructions that are designed to meet your specific wants and needs when your condition renders you unable to express your preferences on your own. Our Advance Directives are intended to be customizable to ensure that your particular wishes are honored.
One important benefit of an Advance Directive is that if properly drafted, it can serve as a source of comfort and reassurance to your loved ones who may be faced with difficult choices as you face the end of your life. Having a document that clearly shows that the decisions being made on your behalf are what you would have wanted can relieve your friends and family of the sense of guilt that can accompany those hard decisions after they are made. The attorneys at Schulz Harrison, LLC will walk you through your options and make sure that you and your loved ones have a plan that protects your medical preferences and gives your loved ones confidence that your medical care was handled as you would have wanted.
Disclaimer: This summary is not intended to be comprehensive, and should not be construed as legal advice for your particular situation. Nothing in this website is intended to substitute for legal representation.