Act Today for Tomorrow's Future
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So often our actions - or lack of action - have
had a major impact on our own future, as well as the future of others.
This situation is often the case when people fail to make plans and decisions in
advance for their own health care.
The fact is that we never know when an accident or serious illness
may strike, rendering us unable to make our wishes known. And suddenly
family members are forced, in the middle of an already stressful situation, to
make decisions that we really should already have made - thereby relieving
them of that burden.
Advance care planning involves thinking and talking about your choices for
your future health care, and then putting your wishes in writing - hopefully
before a health crisis occurs. These written wishes are incorporated into
legal documents, referred to as advance directives, which should then be
shared with family members and healthcare providers in order to ensure that
your wishes are carried out.
Legal documents include:
Living Will - A Living Will is a legal document that allows you to make
clear your wishes regarding measures you want - and don't want
taken to prolong your life. It is called a Living Will because it takes
effect while you are still alive, but are unable to express your wishes,
generally in the case of a terminal illness. Life-prolonging measures
commonly addressed include, but are not limited to, feeding tubes
and ventilators.
Health Care Power of Attorney - A Health Care Power of Attorney
is a separate legal document (often combined with a Living Will)
in which you designate another person to make medical decisions
on your behalf in the event that you become unable to do so.
Links 
Caring for Others