Advanced directives allow you to clarify your wishes regarding finances and health care

To protect against this outcome and to ensure that your wishes are respected, the simplest thing to do is to create advanced directives. Here let’s go over a few kinds of advanced directives that you can create with the help of an elder law attorney.

To clarify your wishes regarding your health care, create a Health Care Proxy. This document names an agent whom you trust to make health-related decisions in the event that you are unable to decide on your own. The agent can make decisions regarding routine care, as well as end-of-life medical treatment.

Along similar lines, a Living Will is an advanced directive that clarifies the kinds of health care you want in the event that your condition becomes serious and there is no hope of recovery.

A Durable Power of Attorney is another kind of advanced directive that names someone whom you trust to handle financial and business matters on your behalf if you become incapacitated.

Another important advanced directive to know about is the New York State Burial Designation, which allows you to designate someone to handle burial and funeral arrangements.