Did You Know?
How to Choose the Right Health Care Agent
One Russian supermom from the 1700s had a whopping 69 kids. Yes, you read that correctly! According to Guinness World Records, a single amazing woman named Mrs. Vassilyev gave birth to almost 70 children. She was pregnant 27 times and delivered 16 pairs of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets. As Guinness puts it, “That’s a lot of Mother’s Day cards.” The supermom’s first name is lost to history, but she was married to Feodor Vassilyev, a poor Russian man who lived from 1707 to 1782. If their children stayed in their hometown of Shuya, a good chunk of the city’s population is probably related to them today. Surprisingly, Mrs. Vassilyev doesn’t hold the record for the mom with the most triplets. That crown goes to an Italian woman named Maddalena Granata. Between 1839 and 1886, she delivered a mind-boggling 15 sets of triplets. That’s 45 kids total! Imagine changing all of those diapers and surviving that many years of terrible twos. We really don’t deserve moms.
This Decision Could Save Your Life!
Life flies by so quickly that it can be difficult to focus on today, let alone plan for tomorrow! That’s why many people put off estate planning. However, it’s more urgent than you think. Much of estate planning focuses on what will happen to your assets when you die, but other elements, like Advanced Health Care Directives, dictate what can happen while you are still alive. WHAT IS AN ADVANCED HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE? These directives establish a health care agent who will be responsible for making medical decisions on your behalf when you are otherwise unable to do so yourself. If you were to fall into a coma or suffer injuries that prevent you from making health care decisions, your health care agent would have the power to sign medical forms and make decisions about the care you will (or won’t) receive. This power includes having the ability to “pull the plug” if you are being kept alive by medical machinery. YOU MUST CHOOSE THE RIGHT PERSON. Your health care agent can literally decide whether you live or die, so it’s vital to choose the right person for the role. The person you choose must be equipped to make the right decisions for you and your family. Someone who is overly emotional and will struggle with a decision like “pulling the plug” may not be the most qualified choice. You should look for someone who can be an effective advocate for you in the health care system, which takes persistence and dedication. A loved one who works in the medical field will be your best choice. They have a better understanding of the medical challenges you are facing and can be realistic about your chances of recovery (or lack thereof). OUR TEAM CAN HELP YOU CHOOSE. At The Law Offices of Tyler Q. Dahl, we don’t just want to focus on the “what” of your estate planning documents but also the “who.” We want to get to know you and your family so that we can advise you on the right decisions. If you have questions about establishing your health care agent or Advanced Health Care Directive — or know someone who does — reach out to our office for careful and compassionate legal guidance.
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