Advance Directives
Hospice of the Comforter can provide you with a free copy of the Five Wishes® Living Will. If you would like a copy, please contact us. Please include your mailing address and number of copies you would like!
Advance Directives are important for everyone. Anyone, at any age, can have a serious accident or illness. It is up to each of us to make our wishes known on paper so that our loved ones can make decisions for us if are not able to speak for ourselves. Completing an Advance Directive such as a Living Will allows you to do this.
Advance Directives allow you to state on paper how you would like medical and other decisions to be made for you if you are unable to communicate.
In Florida, there are three types:
1. A Living Will gives someone you trust, often a family member or friend, the right to make decisions about continuing or withdrawing life-prolonging procedures if you are unable to make those decisions for yourself. You say at what point you would want care withheld if:
- You have an incurable illness that without treatment will cause death; or
- You have an end-stage condition (permanent deterioration and complete dependency on others); or
- You are in a persistent vegetative state (irreversibly unconscious)
If you are unable to provide express or informed consent, your doctor and those you designate will know your wishes.
2. Durable Power of Attorney allows you to designate who you want to handle your affairs if you cannot. It may be a family member, close friend, a bank trust department or trust company. You may appoint more than one person.
Those you designate can deal with financial matters if you are unable. They can pay your bills, settle accounts, enter your safe deposit box, borrow money for your benefit and deal with your pension and IRA accounts. They can sign tax returns, handle investments, transfer motor vehicles, and sell and buy property on your behalf, among other things. If you hold property in other states, you should mention that when you prepare this document.
3. A Healthcare Surrogate Designation is a written document designating a person you trust to make healthcare decisions for you. Their authority begins when your attending physician and a consulting physician determine that you lack the capacity to make healthcare decisions for yourself.
Using an Attorney
This is just a brief summary of critical advance directives. You should consult an attorney for details. Several attorneys assist Hospice of the Comforter patients and their families at reduced rates. Please contact Hospice of the Comforter’s Development department at 407-682-0808 if you would like more information.
Visit these Web sites for free online Advance Directives:
State of Florida (available in English and Spanish)
Hospice of the Comforter can also provide you with a free copy of the Five Wishes® Living Will. If you would like a copy, please call 407-682-0808 or contact us.