Medical science can keep a person alive almost indefinitely, even when their quality of life has severely deteriorated. For reasons both personal and financial, most opt out of prolonging life under such conditions, particularly when there is little-to-no hope for recovery. It is also common to need someone with authority to make medical decisions when a person’s mental capacity deteriorates, even if they are not in an end-of-life situation.
Fortunately, there is a way to plan for situations like these. Known as the Utah Advanced Health Care Directive (includes both a Living Will and Special Power of Attorney for Medical Purposes), instructions for physicians and other care providers can be drawn up stating who will have authority to make medical decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself and that life-sustaining procedures should not be applied under specific circumstances.
As someone with decades of experience in overseeing the creation of Advance Health Care Directives, Living Wills, and Special Powers of Attorney for Medical Purposes, I highly recommend such documents for all of my clients and would be happy to sit down with you to discuss the ins and outs of the process free of charge. Just call the number listed below.
