Choosing the right Minnesota Healthcare Directives

End of life decisions are hard to make. Knowing the patients wishes is often clouded by emotions, when an unexpected serious illness strikes. Having the appropriate healthcare directives in place, it gives family members and their healthcare providers a clearer picture of the patients wishes.

These advance directives come in many forms and do vary by state laws. Being properly informed to which directive would be best for the patient is very important; but what the documents can contain is difficult. At the O’Dea Law Firm, we can help walk you through the legal documents to ensure that the patients true wishes are met.

There are three common directives. A living will, a healthcare power of attorney, and a do not resuscitate order. A living will is generally reserved for patients with terminal illness; giving the patient a voice to have full control on how their care will be handled should the they no longer be able to make those decisions. A medical power of attorney is a document that does allow for some decisions to be made, but it gives a specific person the legal right to make decisions for the patient should they no longer be able to make decisions for themselves. A Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order is also considered a directive should the patients heart stop, no CPR or advanced life support techniques would be used to save the patient.

These documents are legally binding and should be completed by a lawyer; however most documents can be found online or be obtained through your healthcare provider. The O’Dea law firm can help ensure these documents are completed and inline with state laws before any decisions need to be made. Please contact us today at the O’Dea Law Firm to get started.