Healthcare directives typically refer to Healthcare Powers of Attorney (AKA Medical Power of Attorney) and/or Advance Directives (AKA Living Will, AKA Directive). Medical Powers of Attorney name an agent, or agents, who have the power to make medical decisions for you in the even that you become incapacitated. Advance Directives (Living Wills) state your desire to be continually plugged in or unplugged, in layman’s terms, if you are in a terminal condition or irreversible condition. These are different from out-of-hospital do-not-resuscitate (AKA OOH DNR) which typically state your desire not to be resuscitated if you’re in a non-hospital setting.

Because the circumstances surrounding health can vary over time, it is critical to check your advance directives on a regular basis to ensure that your preferences and desires are still current and accurate.

Do I Need Healthcare Directives?

Although many people live their lives without having healthcare directives set up, they can provide you peace of mind knowing that you and your family will be well taken care of from a decision-making standpoint should you become incapacitated at any point. Figuring out which type of healthcare directive is right for you can be challenging. Speak to one of our incapacity planning lawyers to help you set up the proper healthcare directives for you.

Do I Need to Sign a Release Form for an Advance Directive?

In some cases, you may need one of your family members or loved ones to make an informed decision for you in case of a medical emergency. However, they may need to take a look at your medical records in order to do so. HIPAA regulations make it difficult to simply ask and obtain such records without proper consent. When setting up your healthcare directives, you may want to sign HIPAA release forms so any family surrogate or healthcare agent can take a look at your medical records and make the best decision possible about your medical treatment. We typically create a separate standalone document which names the people who shall have access to your medical records. Speak with our law firm today to learn more about the specifics that go into incapacity planning.

Should I Hire an Incapacity Planning Lawyer?

When it comes to taking care of the future, you should consider getting all the help you can get. Our law firm has assisted many clients with incapacity planning over the years. We can analyze your specific needs and make sure we put an incapacity plan in place that fits right in with your life. Incapacity planning does not have to be difficult or confusing. Let us make matters clear for you going forward. Learn more about your potential incapacity plan by speaking with our law firm in Austin at 512-400-4430 or in Houston at 713-489-7360.