An Advance Health Care Directive can be any one or a combination of the following forms:
Living Will
Health Care/Medical Power of Attorney
Mental Health Care Power of Attorney
Pre-Hospital Medical Directive/Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)
Your Health Care Directive can be used to designate who will make important health care decisions in the event you are unable to (e.g., comatose, Alzheimer's, etc.) It can also be used to specify your end-of-life plans.
Examples of things to consider in your Health Care Directive include:
Who do you trust to make health care decisions for you if you are incapacitated?
Do you want to be an organ and/or tissue door?
If you are in a permanent vegetative state, do you desire to have life sustaining treatment?
Do you want to be resuscitated?
The State of Arizona provides free health care directive forms through the Secretary of State. The standard forms and instructions can be downloaded here. Once completed, signed, and notarized, you can register your directives with the state by mailing copies of your directives and a registration agreement. Registration forms are typically processed within three (3) weeks.
A Living Will/Health Care Directive is not a financial power of attorney, Living Trust, or Last Will & Testament.
A financial power of attorney grants another person authority to act on behalf of the principal-agent in financial matters (e.g., handling bank deposits, paying living expenses, executing mortgage documents, etc.).
Living Trusts and Last Wills and Testaments are used to designate who will handle your estate, who will inherit your assets, and who will care for your minor children if you pass away.
If you would like assistance with the preparation of a custom estate plan, Glover Court Solutions & Estate Planning offers FREE, no obligation consultations and reviews of your current estate plans,. While, we cannot give legal advice, we can provide general legal information to help you navigate your legal matter(s). We also network with dozens of qualified attorneys throughout the Valley whom we would be happy to refer you to in the unlikely event we are unable to help.
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