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    What is a Letter of Direction?

     

    Smiling Little Girl With Her Father Visiting Her GrandmotherToday, we are going to discuss why you should consider having a Letter of Direction.

    A Letter of Direction can really help your family when they are trying to cope with you dying and figure out how to manage your affairs. It will be tough enough on them and this will help make things a bit easier.

    This month we are focusing on the health legal documents you need before you go to the hospital. If you missed any of the series so far, catch up with the links at the end of this post. 

    A Letter of Direction–sometimes also called a Letter of Instruction–gives your family information about important things like your wishes for after you pass away and how to access your assets.

    Typically, a Letter of Direction includes the following:

    1. The name of your advisers and their contact information
    2. A list of all your assets and debts and the account numbers
    3. The location of your safety deposit box and the key
    4. If you have an animal, who do you want to care for the pet
    5. Funeral directions
    6. What you want in your obituary

    There may be other important information you add to your Letter of Direction, but the above list is a good starting point.

    Although this document is certainly not required, many families have found it to be one of the most important documents they had when they suddenly lost a loved one. Planning ahead can often ease the pain and potential chaos as well as disagreements among family members. This is especially true if you are the person in your family that is responsible for paying the bills and handling the investments.

    If you don’t already have a Letter of Direction in place, talk to an estate planning attorney.

    Taking a little uncomfortable time planning now will help your loved ones later.

    In my upcoming blog posts, I’ll discuss more health legal documents you should have in place. STAY TUNED!

    Previous posts in this series:

    What other information would it be helpful to include in the Letter of Direction? I’d love to hear from you!

    To learn more about your stay in a hospital, subscribe to MyHealthSpin.com and receive a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

    With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

     

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    Make Sure You Have This Now: Power of Attorney

    Power Of Attorney

    Thinking about your health legal documents may not be at the top of your “fun things to do today” list. I get it. It can be scary thinking about the possibility of being temporarily or permanently incapacitated. “But I’m so healthy. That won’t happen to me.” Unfortunately, it can. Better to consider it now than when you are no longer able to handle your own affairs.

    This month we are focusing on the health legal documents you need before you go to the hospital. If you missed any of the series so far, catch up with the links at the end of this post. 

    Continuing with our series, today we are going to discuss Power of Attorney.  

    The person designated in the Power of Attorney legally can do anything you would normally do.

    The designated person can access your money, pay your bills, do your banking, decide and where you are going to live, among many other things.

    If you are incapacitated for a long period of time, you need someone to handle your affairs while you are getting better.

    Obviously, it is very important that you pick someone you trust. The person with your Power of Attorney can empty your bank account and make decisions for you that can greatly impact your life.

    It is generally a good idea to select only one person. If you select two people, there may be disagreements among them and it may be difficult to get a clear answer on some things that must be decided. You can ask the person you are giving your Power of Attorney to discuss any significant decisions with other family members or friends, however, it is best to have one person ultimately making the decision. This is also helpful for the hospital and the healthcare providers so they know who to go to talk to for a decision.

    If you don’t already have a Power of Attorney in place, speak with an estate planning attorney.

    Taking a little uncomfortable time planning now could be beneficial to you and your loved ones later.

    In my upcoming blog posts, I’ll discuss more health legal documents you should have in place. STAY TUNED!

    Previous posts in this series:

    Have you ever had problems getting your family to allow to follow your wishes? If so, I’d love to hear from you!

    To learn more about your stay in a hospital, subscribe to MyHealthSpin.com and receive a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

    With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!

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    Patient Advocate Form: What it is and why you need one

    Bridgewalk TexMary

    Who will follow your wishes for your healthcare decisions if you are incapacitated and unable to make the decisions for yourself? Hopefully you designated that person on a Patient Advocate form. 

    This month we are focusing on what health legal documents you need before you go to the hospital. If you missed the introduction to this series, you can find it here: The Health Legal Documents You Need Before You Go to the Hospital.

    This document was very important for my mother when she was taken by ambulance to the hospital after a stroke on Labor Day evening. She and my father happily walked the Mackinac Bridge that day as they did every Labor Day for 25 years.

    As you can see from this picture which was taken right after my parent’s finished their bridge walk, my mother was a vibrant, energetic 77-year-old retired nurse who felt very strongly that if she was not able to live a full life, she was comfortable with passing away. She didn’t want any extraordinary measures taken, such as major surgeries, ventilators, feeding tubes, and so on. Because she had made her wishes very clear in her Patient Advocate form there was no question among me and my five brothers and sisters as to what we should tell the doctors.

    We were lucky that my mom was clear about her wishes. Many families do not have this document so the family argues about what should be done while their loved one lingers in the hospital.

    It is also important to know that doctors differ in their views of end of life. Some doctors and hospitals insist that everything be done that can be done. They are concerned about being sued for malpractice or they have their own religious views.

    If you don’t want the hospital, doctor, or a well-intentioned loved one making choices for your healthcare that you don’t agree with, spell out your wishes clearly in a Patient Advocate form.

    The Patient Advocate form has many names, so don’t be confused if you hear these terms:  

    1. Medical Durable Power of Attorney
    2. Advanced Directive
    3. Living Will
    4. Do Not Resuscitate order

    All of these terms basically involve the same subject: What are your wishes for your medical care if you can’t make the decisions for yourself?

    If you don’t already have a Patient Advocate form in place, speak with your hospital or attorney.

    In my upcoming blog posts, I’ll discuss other legal medical documents you need. STAY TUNED!

    Have you ever had problems getting the hospital to allow you or your loved one to follow your wishes? If so, I’d love to hear from you!

    To learn more about your stay in a hospital, subscribe to MyHealthSpin.com and receive a FREE copy of my ebook Easy Healthcare: Your Hospital Stay. CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD

    With MyHealthspin, You Spin Your Healthcare Your Way!