For many people and families coping with a terminal illness, end-stage disease or other end-of-life issues, hospice care is the best and most humane choice. Hospice care is not focused on a cure, but is focused on quality of life, managing pain, and providing for the needs of patient and family. This can provide a better transition for all parties, eliminating stress and allowing a family quality time together.
If you or someone that you love has made the decision that hospice care is an appropriate solution for a medical situation, you should strongly consider getting legal assistance from an experienced Indianapolis hospice planning lawyer. Frank & Kraft can provide support for the patient and family in ensuring that a patient’s medical wishes are respected and that other important legal issues are addressed. Give us a call today to find out about personalized assistance and advice we can provide in your situation and to get answers to important questions including:
- What legal issues are raised by a decision to get hospice care?
- Who should get help from a hospice planning lawyer?
- How can an Indianapolis hospice planning lawyer help?
What Legal Issues are Raised by a Decision to Get Hospice Care?
When a patient has made the choice to get hospice care, he needs to take steps to protect assets, to make sure his medical care wishes are respected, to protect family members, and to protect his legacy. This means there are a variety of legal issues that must be addressed related to healthcare advanced directives; asset protection; and estate planning.
When you are entering hospice, you want to ensure you have a living will in place to specify that you want no extraordinary measures – like a feeding tube – o be used to keep you alive. Making your wishes known can prevent family from fighting over the care you should receive and can ensure you maintain medical autonomy. You can also name a healthcare proxy who can make choices for you on issues not addressed in a living will, Do Not Resuscitate order, or other advanced directives.
As part of making plans when you go into hospice, you can also use a power of attorney and/or living trusts to dictate who should be in charge of managing assets, financial affairs, and other legal matters on your behalf when you cannot manage on your own any longer.
Finally, creating a comprehensive estate plan including the use of wills, trusts, and other similar legal tools can allow you to take care of your heirs and to use your money to support causes you care about.
Who Should Get Legal Help from a Hospice Planning Lawyer?
Patients who have decided that hospice care is right for them should get legal help from a hospice planning lawyer to make sure their wishes on medical care are respected and to make sure no unwanted extraordinary measures are used to save their life. Patients can also get help protecting their assets, their family, and their legacy.
Family members may also wish to get legal assistance when a loved one has chosen hospice. An experienced attorney can help the family members of patients who need end-of-life care to ensure that their loved one’s wishes are respected and that their loved one receives full protection under the law.
When a patient becomes incapacitated at the end of life due to a serious illness or injury, family members can also seek advice from an attorney on understanding their roles as guardians or agents under a power of attorney agreement. Finally, when family caregivers are using hospice services at home to provide for a loved one, an attorney can help family to understand what benefits and financial assistance might be available, as well as what options there are for respite care.
How can an Indianapolis Hospice Planning Lawyer Help?
Frank & Kraft knows the decision to opt for hospice is one of the most important and profound choices a person can make. Choosing hospice can be the best approach to ensure that your family is cared for and provided support at then end of your life, and to ensure you have a peaceful end-of-life transition. Making this choice can be even more beneficial for you and your loved ones if you also take steps to wrap up all of your other affairs and address the issues that matter at the end of your life and after your death. We are here to help.
Give our Indianapolis hospice planning lawyers a call at (317) 684-1100 or contact us online as soon as you have made the choice on hospice care so we can begin working for you and protecting you and the family you care about.
