Recently I have had a few clients concerned that the Health Care legislation being proposed may have the effect of giving end- of- life care decisions to the doctor while taking power away from the patient and their family.  It seems there is a lot of talk in the media that may be fueling these fears.  Understandably, the uncertainty of such a massive piece of legislation is scary because change is scary.  Take comfort in the knowledge that there continue to be actions you can take to give yourself more control over your end-of-life care.

These actions start with choosing a doctor that makes you feel like he or she cares and listens.  After you have chosen a good doctor, meet with a trusted attorney who can counsel you about advance directive documents, including a living will, a designation of health care surrogate, and a durable power of attorney.  As with all legal documents, the advice of a trusted attorney is invaluable.  Because, while these documents are easily available as forms from various sources like the internet, they are not “one size fits all.”  It is important to discuss the specific meaning of the content of the document and how the document could be misused by someone who does not have your best interests in mind.

We don’t know exactly what choices the new legislation will offer.  However, we can continue to make an effort to build productive doctor/patient relationships.  You can also work with an attorney to create legally binding documents that express your wishes in case you are not able to voice them yourself later in life.