Market Memo – Planning Article
May 2023 – By Tom Rueger, J.D., CFP®
In general, an Advance Directive is a document that instructs others about your preferences for medical care if you are unable to make decisions on your own or unable to communicate your wishes to others. Advance Directives can give instructions on your preferences regarding the decisions of doctors and caregivers if you are terminally ill, seriously injured, in a coma, in the late stages of dementia, or near the end of life. They only become effective under the circumstances stated in the document. Advance Directives can communicate the treatment that you want and don’t want. They can help avoid unnecessary suffering, reduce confusion or disagreement, and relieve caregivers from the burdens of making decisions. An Advance Directive does not remove any decision-making authority from you while you are still competent since you can always override any decision or revoke any Directive that you have made.
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