• 23 Aug 2016

The-Advance-Health-Care-Directive-AHCD

Offering certainty for medical decisions.

Death and dying are part of life. Healthy families wish to offer the dying peace and dignity and a painless end of life. Many of us wish to make our end of life decisions clear and unambiguous. These decisions are best defined in an AHCD or an Appointment of Enduring Guardian (AOEG). 

Bette was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Fortunately for her it was an early diagnosis. Her own mother, Marjorie, had suffered the same illness and within seven months of the onset was in a vegetative state, living for six years at Our Lady of the Rosary Home. Bette had crossed town fortnightly to visit her and never received a sign of recognition. The distress to Bette, her siblings and her mother’s grandchildren is hard to evaluate. On diagnosis Bette looked for medical help. Her doctor referred her to a specialist estate-planning lawyer who prepared a well-crafted advance health care directive. Bette gave specific instructions as to when nutritional feeding and life support was to cease. She requested that she be would be given palliative care.

A priority for Bette was that the AHCD was her decision and neither her husband nor her children would need to make that decision or later bear guilt. She had done all she needed to make her own decisions. 

There is a range of diseases where the sufferer may lose ability to make health decisions from loss of cognitive power to higher-level decision.

With age, conditions such as stroke, dementia, delirium, brain tumours, chronic alcohol use or abuse, some vitamin deficiencies, and some chronic diseases may cause cognitive impairment. Head injury and infection of the brain or spinal cord can cause cognitive impairment at any age.

Ensure your Will, Testamentary Trust Will and other documents are of best quality by consulting Acorn Lawyers.