In this Estate Planning and Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson shares the difference between a Healthcare Power of Attorney and a Living Will, and why you may want to choose one over the other.
Why a Healthcare Power of Attorney is Better than a Living Will
Transcript:
Hi, I’m Wes Coulson and this if your Estate Planning and Elder Law Minute. There are a lot of people out there, and maybe you are one of them, who think that a healthcare power of attorney and a living will are sort of the same thing. They’re really not.
A living will only speaks to what your desires are in the case of a final illness.
A healthcare power of attorney goes much further.
Let’s say that you have Alzheimer’s and you are experiencing chest pains. You can’t communicate with the Doctor; the chest pains may mean that you are going to have a major heart attack, or could be a bad case of indigestion; you need somebody to speak for you. So, you really need a healthcare power of attorney, because there are a lot of times that you may need someone to make medical decisions for you during your later years, before you are about to die. Thanks.
For more on Power of Attorneys, visit these articles:
- Living Will vs. Healthcare Power of Attorney
- The $20,000 Power of Attorney
- Do I Really Need a Power of Attorney?
Dent-Coulson Elder Law is dedicated to providing families in the St. Louis area with their Elder Law needs. Our practice areas include Asset Preservation Planning, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid Eligibility, Alzheimer’s Planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning and more. We understand the financial challenges you may face as you and your loved ones grow older. At Dent-Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (877)995-6876 or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.
