No one relishes the idea of planning for serious illness or the end of their life. This is understandable for obvious reasons.
That acknowledged, one of the most important things you can do for yourself and those you love is to create a plan for if and when this time comes.
How do you do that? By creating an Advance Healthcare Directive.
What is an Advance Healthcare Directive?
An AHD is a legally binding document which details all your healthcare wishes should you become incapacitated and no longer able to express these wishes yourself. This is crucial for you, because it ensures that all medical procedures and interventions you do, or perhaps most important, do not want are clear, and will be honored by both medical staff and loved ones who are working with them to make sure all of your needs and wishes are met.
Watch the excellent video by Jeanne West of Hospice of Santa Barbara to learn all you need to know about AHD’s – even how to download the form and fill it out yourself!
Here is the link for My Care, where you can download your fillable form, and learn even more about AHD’s. Like Jeanne, they offer support, education, and are ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
https://www.getitdonesb.org/mycare
An AHD is one of the best gifts you can give your loved ones and yourself.
And it is never too soon to create one. In fact, the sooner the better, for as we know, life is full of uncertainty and things can happen when we least expect it.
We are grateful to Jeanne and MyCare for their invaluable guidance along this often challenging path. We are confident their knowledge and dedication to help will make it an easier journey.