Tampa Healthcare Advance Directives Help Ensure Your Medical Wishes Are Honored
Tampa residents need to be proactive in managing medical decisions and one easy and effective way to do this is by creating advance directives. These convey your wishes in emergency situations and ensure your healthcare preferences are respected. Our Tampa estate planning lawyer shares more about why advance directives are essential and the specific steps you need to take to create them.
Healthcare Advance Directives: Why They Are Essential In Tampa Estate Planning
Unexpected illnesses and accidental injuries can leave you incapacitated and unable to communicate with loved ones or medical providers. Healthcare advance directives are essential in protecting your rights in this situation. They allow individuals to outline their medical treatment preferences and designate decision-makers in advance.
Without advance directives, medical decisions may default to family members or court-appointed guardians, who may have to guess what you might have wanted. The Florida Statutes require that healthcare providers adhere to a patient’s advance directives, which protects you in case of unexpected events. Common healthcare advance directives in Tampa include:
- Living Will: Specifies your wishes regarding life-saving medical care if you are incapacitated.
- Healthcare Surrogate Designation: Appoint someone you trust to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
- Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNRO): Indicates your preference to forego resuscitative measures in certain medical situations.
Steps to Establishing Advance Directives in Tampa
Creating advance directives in Naples involves careful consideration and adherence to Florida law. Steps you will need to follow include:
- Assess Your Healthcare Preferences: Consider what medical treatments you might want in different scenarios, including feeding tubes and other life-prolonging or palliative care options.
- Select a Healthcare Surrogate: Choose someone reliable, who lives nearby, understands your values, and is willing to act on your behalf. Have open discussions with this person about your healthcare preferences well in advance.
- Document Your Decisions: Utilize standardized forms to record your living will and healthcare surrogate designation, which are available through the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.
- Sign Before Witnesses: Advance directives in Tampa must be signed while in the presence of two adult witnesses, one of whom should not be a spouse or blood relative.
- Distribute Copies: Provide copies of your advance directives to your healthcare surrogate, primary care physician, and close family members.
- Review and Update Regularly: Periodically revisit your directives, particularly after significant life events or when there are changes in your health status, to ensure they accurately reflect your current wishes.
Contact Our Experienced Tampa Estate Planning Attorney To Put Advance Directives In Place
Healthcare advance directives play a crucial role in estate planning in Tampa and help convey your wishes, ensuring you get the type of care you want.
To put the appropriate documents in place and ensure they conform to state laws, contact Bubley & Bubley, P.A. Our office is dedicated to protecting the rights of our clients, which includes safeguarding their healthcare choices. Contact us today and schedule a consultation with our experienced Tampa estate planning lawyer to discuss your options.
Sources:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0765/0765.html
ahca.myflorida.com/consumer-information
