How To Avoid Family Disagreements About Your Future Medical Care

As people age, their loved ones often want the same thing. They want to support the aging individual and treat them with care and respect. Unfortunately, this does not mean that family members will always agree about how to accomplish these goals. Medical decisions are a common source of disagreement among family members. They may live in different places, have different beliefs, or interpret your wishes differently.

To avoid these disputes, it is critical to plan for your future health care. Below, one of our St. Petersburg advance directive attorneys explains in greater detail.

Common Reasons for Disagreements About Health Care Decisions 

Family members disagree about health care decisions for a number of reasons. Some people focus on quality of life and comfort, while others may prioritize family traditions or religious beliefs. When your wishes are not clearly expressed, your family members may have to rely on assumptions or their own memories.

Family structures are also often a source of disputes. Adult children from previous relationships, blended families, relatives living out of state, and long-term partners who are not formally spouses may all have differing ideas about who should make decisions. These disputes do not mean any family members are wrong. It simply means they need better guidance.

Who Can Make Medical Decisions for You? 

In Florida, you can designate a health care surrogate to make medical decisions for you if you are ever unable to make them for yourself. After designating a health care surrogate, they can:

• Speak with your doctors and other healthcare providers
• Review medical information
• Make health care decisions based on your wishes
• Communicate with other relatives and loved ones

The purpose of designating a health care surrogate is not to take away your voice. In fact, it is to ensure that your voice is heard during a time you cannot speak for yourself.

Is a Health Care Surrogate the Same as a Living Will? 

If you have already drafted a living will, you may wonder if you also need a health care surrogate. In short, yes, it is a good idea to have both. In Florida, a living will only applies to end-of-life medical care, such as artificial ventilation, life-prolonging procedures, and tube feeding. A living will is also a static set of instructions. You specifically outline what treatment you do and do not want and your healthcare providers are required to comply with these wishes.

A health care surrogate, on the other hand, does not outline your decisions. It simply gives another person the authority to make decisions on your behalf, but according to your wishes. A health care surrogate can make medical decisions for you any time you become incapacitated and cannot communicate your wishes yourself. This designation is not restricted to end-of-life care.

Our Advance Directive Attorneys in St. Petersburg Can Protect Your Best Interests 

When drafting advance directives or any other part of your estate plan, you need legal help. At Legacy Protection Lawyers, LLP, our St. Petersburg advance directive attorneys can provide it and ensure your documents are executed properly so you and your family are protected. Call us today at 727-471-5868 or contact us online to request a consultation and to learn more about how we can help.

Source:

flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/0765.202