Advance Care Planning For Senior Citizens Is A Great Idea

Advance care planning is a great idea for senior citizens. Planning your health choices and providing instructions is an important step, in case you find yourself in an emergency.

Knowing who you want to make decisions on your behalf and how you would decide will take some of the burden off family and friends.

Advance Care Planning: What Is It?

Advance care planning involves learning about the types of decisions that might need to be made, by your family and doctors. The instructions are put into an advance directive, which is a legal document that goes into effect only if you become incapacitated or are temporarily unable to speak for yourself.

Advance Care Planning: Important Considerations

If you don’t have any medical issues now, a planner can still be of help down the road. Talk with your doctor about decisions that might come up if you develop health problems similar to those of other family members.

And, based on your conversations with your family and doctor, formulating your advance directive will make it clear as to the medical interventions you prefer to get you back up on your feet.

Your decisions in the form of a directive gives you the flexibility to change them if you feel you want to go in a different direction. Your family and doctors will be clear on what to do as they get you back to health.