An advance directive is a legal document that is meant to help guide someone’s last years and the big decisions that are made during this time. They come in a few different forms, but largely, they are meant to help provide a framework for how financial and medical decisions are made when someone is no longer able to make these decisions on their own.
These documents can go a long way toward ensuring that someone’s wishes are known after they are no longer able to express those wishes themselves. They make sure that the care decisions that are made are in keeping with what the person in need will actually want.
Unfortunately, there’s a big racial gap when it comes to who is actually utilizing advance directives. For example, Black Americans are much less likely to have an AD in place than a White American is. There are some big concerns about this, of course. Everyone should have access to high quality care and they should have access to that assistance in the manner that they wish. With ongoing concerns about discrimination when it comes to how some populations are treated, specifically when it comes to end of life care, the problem of discrimination becomes harder to stop.
Part of this is socioeconomic in nature. People with fewer resources at their disposal are a lot less likely to have official advance directives regarding their end of life wishes on file. Having a plan in place can make these final years for someone a lot less anxiety-inducing. Someone can focus on living their life rather than worry about what will happen to them if they can’t speak up for themselves. They will know that their loved ones will be able to make the right choices for them, regardless of what unforeseen circumstances might arise.
The bottom line is that these discussions are important. Even if you or a loved one never decide or are able to create an advance directive to legally protect what the future should look like, there’s no reason why these conversations can’t take place. You don’t need to pay for an attorney to have a discussion with an older loved one about what kind of senior care to pursue if and when it’s needed. You don’t need to draft a legal document to talk with a loved one about what kind of medical care, if any, they desire in their final weeks of life. These are difficult conversations, but they can help you and your family to pursue a path that is in keeping with the best interests of your older loved ones.
Care planning is stressful, but an open and honest conversation with family can make it easier. Speaking with a professional can also be helpful. If you’d like to talk more about senior care and how it can benefit your family, please feel free to reach out. One of our trained professional caregivers would be happy to talk more with you, answer your questions, and get you steered in the right direction.
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