Three things to do before you need a nursing home – good planning | Daytona Nursing Home Injury Lawyer May 21, 2009

No one wants to go to a nursing home. Everyone in a nursing home is sick. We tend to put off discussions about poor health and taking care of documents we will need if we have to go to a nursing home. However, those discussions and documents are critically important and can make a very big difference in how you experience health care in a hospital or nursing home.

Here are three things to do when you are in good health that will make a difference later:

Prepare a living will.  This is a document that expresses your desires about how you want to be treated by healthcare providers. Lawyers can help you think this through. Talk to your family about what you want. Do you want a ventilator? Do you want a feeding tube? Do you want hydration or nutrition withheld under certain circumstances?

Designate a health-care surrogate. This is the person who will make decisions for you about your health care in the event you cannot. Show this person your living will and have a frank discussion about your wishes for end-of-life care. Designate an alternate health care surrogate if your primary surrogate is unable or unavailable to make the decisions.  Give your doctor and lawyer a copy of the designation and your living will. Keep the original in a safe place.

Prepare a durable health care power of attorney. This is the document that provides authority for someone you trust to take care of your financial affairs if you are too sick to do so yourself. You may need a separate form from your bank.  You should also designate an alternate to serve as your power of attorney.  If you are not competent to handle your affairs and you have no power of attorney, insurance companies and banks will probably refuse to  give others access to your funds to pay your bills.