|
 Although
an
Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) — sometimes improperly called
a Living Will —
is one of the most important legal documents the average
American will ever sign, more than 70% of American adults
still do not have one.
Without a health care directive,
should you be unable to voice your preferences about your
medical treatment and end of life care, decisions may be left in the hands
of people that you don't trust. Or, just as bad, the people
left in charge may not be able to agree.
In order to make sure your wishes and decisions are
carried out, you should complete and sign an Advance Health
Care Directive which describes the type and extent of
medical treatment that you prefer - and don't want --
and under what circumstances, so that those you appoint
can make sure your wishes are carried out.
For example, if you were severely injured in a car
accident, you might be in a coma with no apparent
prospects for recovery. Would you want your doctors to
do everything possible to keep you alive? Would you
prefer minimal, non-invasive treatment? Would you want
all treatment possible until a medical decision could be
made about your prognosis?
These extremely difficult decisions deserve you taking
the time to write down your choices. In this way, you
can make your wishes known to trusted family members or
friends, not to mention your doctors, so you will
receive the treatment you want and need according to
your wishes.
My Final Decisions™ documents were developed by an
attorney with more than 37 years of experience that
allow you to express your choices clearly and directly.
My Final Decisions™ documents allow you to go further in
your planning than most state forms. Properly completed
and signed, My Final Decisions™ complies with the laws
of many states, and is persuasive authority of your
wishes no matter where you live.
Before you begin to complete the My Final Decisions™
(MFD™)
questionnaire that will provide you a personal document
containing your wishes and directions, you should first
think about whom you trust to follow your instructions when
you appoint a Primary Agent because this person will be
authorized to make your health care decisions for you should
you not be capable of making them yourself. Just in case
your first choice does not or can not act, we highly
recommend that you select at least two, and preferably four
(4), alternate agents. When completing MFD™, you should have
available contact information for each person, including
addresses and phone numbers. So we suggest that you have
this information handy when you begin the process of
completing your document.
Since
the laws of each state are different, once you sign
your MFD™, a document that contains much more than
any state-specific forms, you may want to attach
your signed MFD™ directive to your state form as your
directive. Once you have finished completing the
questionnaire online, you will be able to download
your MFD Advance Health Care Directive immediately
in a PDF format where it will be ready to sign.
We suggest that you make sure to have your document
signed and or notarized as quickly as possible after you complete it because
people have a tendency put this off.
In order to be valid, your Advance Health Care
Directive must be properly signed and witnessed by two
unrelated persons.
While the signing of the Health Care
Directive is not difficult and does not require an attorney,
you must sign it properly. Don't allow anyone you appoint as
your agent or alternate agent to sign as a witness.
In most states, you can sign in the presence
of two witnesses if they are each over age 18 (age 21 in
Colorado and age 19 in Alabama) and of sound mental state.
There are some people who are universally not allowed to act
as witnesses, including 1) your spouse, 2) your children, 3)
your grandchildren, 4) your parents or siblings (brothers
and sisters), 5) the Agent and Alternate Agents whom you
appoint, 6) your doctor and his/her employees, or 7) the
spouses of any person listed in 1) through 6).
In addition, persons who are directly
financially responsible for your medical care, are named in
your will or could inherit from you as a beneficiary of your
life insurance or an IRA, should not act as a witness. Some
states require that signatures be notarized, and some
require special signing protections for you if you sign
while a resident of a health care facility.
To be on the safe
side, we suggest that, where possible, witnesses to My Final
Decisions™ be over 21 years of age and not be related to you
by blood or marriage.
Each state has different laws and advance directive forms.
While notarization is not necessary in all states, we
recommend that you have your MFD™ document notarized. We also
suggest that you initial each page of the document in the
right lower corner of the page. Since MFD is an expression
of your wishes about matters that are not included in the
forms created by the legislatures of each state, you may
want to attach your MFD™ to your state form.
After you and the witnesses sign, you should make copies of
your MFD™ Health Care Directive and distribute them to the
following.:
|
1. |
Your
Primary Agent |
|
2. |
Your Alternate Agents |
|
3. |
All of Your Health Care Providers such as doctors
and hospitals |
|
4. |
Other
Family Members or Close Friends |
Although copies are generally as good as the
original, don't put your My Final Decisions™ document in
your safe deposit box. Keep it at home with your personal
papers.
You should review all of your documents from time to time
because circumstances change. And see your lawyer if you
have any other questions.
All
information supplied by you on your online questionnaire is
strictly confidential and private. My Final Decisions™ uses
the highest level and most current online security
available. The exchange between the server and you, our
customer, is performed using Secure Socket Layer (SSL).
Secure Socket Layer authenticates, encrypts the data and
secures data integrity. SSL is used to take your order
information, encrypt it, so that your credit card number is
secure, and delivers the order to us for processing.
In addition, MFD neither sells nor rents lists of our
customers or any information furnished by our customers. The
end result of your document is based on the accuracy and
completeness of the information you input. Because we have
developed and deliver a quality product at an affordable
price, all sales are final and returns can not be
accepted.
If you do
not receive your email confirmation of your purchase, please
check and make sure that it has not been stopped by your
spam filter. Also, please be sure to correctly enter your
email address as our emails are automatically sent to the
addresses as entered. If you have entered a correct address
and are still having problems, please
contact us by email
and we will be happy to investigate the problem.
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