Making Decisions When Facing Dementia
Today, dementia affects many people. It can take several years to progress and cause numerous health and function issues, including the inabilities to communicate or make decisions. Planning ahead for the medical treatment you would prefer is important.
Our dementia living will extension is a specifically-designed communication tool that tells your healthcare surrogate the kind of medical care and quality of life you want if you develop or have moderate or severe dementia. It becomes effective when you are no longer able to make medical decisions for yourself as comes with advanced dementia.
You may find this extension particularly useful if you are concerned about the possibility of dementia in your future or have been diagnosed with early dementia and are still capable of making your own medical choices. By providing this information now – before a medical crisis – you help prepare your healthcare surrogate, family and healthcare providers to understand and carry out your wishes.
The extension, living will and healthcare surrogate documents may be changed at any time. Hospitals and physicians will honor those with the most recent dates.
Complete a Dementia Living Will Extension:
- Read the entire document before completing
- Think about your values and goals of care
- Give detailed answers and reasoning for your decisions
- Have the document witnessed and signed
- Discuss your choices with your healthcare surrogate, loved ones and physicians
- Give copies of the document to your healthcare surrogate, alternate surrogate, physicians, caregivers and any hospitals you are admitted to
- Keep your extension, living will and healthcare surrogate documents together in a safe place that can be easily found
- Review your documents every few years to be sure they are still consistent with your medical choices
For more information on Living Wills or to schedule a consultation, please contact us at (727) 467-7423.