Updating Healthcare Documents Checklist

Why Regularly Update Your Healthcare Planning Documents?

As you experience changes in your health or life circumstances, it's critical to keep your healthcare planning documents up to date. These documents legally spell out your wishes for medical care and end-of-life preferences. Having outdated documents increases the risk your preferences won't align with the treatment you receive.

Updating documents annually ensures they accurately reflect your current situation and priorities. Even without major life events, subtle shifts in your values or care goals may occur over time. Regular review gives you peace of mind knowing these vital instructions match your latest needs and values.

What Documents Need Regular Review and Updating

The two cornerstone documents for healthcare planning are:

1. Healthcare Power of Attorney - This document designates someone to make medical decisions for you if you become incapacitated and unable to communicate or make your own choices.

2. Living Will - States your preferences for life-sustaining medical treatment if you have a terminal condition or are permanently unconscious. This guides your care team and appointed decision-maker.

Both documents are crucial for ensuring your wishes are carried out as intended. Reviewing the specifics in each document annually, and after any significant health events, ensures they stay aligned with your latest situation.

Life Events That Should Trigger an Update

In addition to annual reviews, certain life events should prompt you to revisit and update your healthcare directives:

• Changes in marital or relationship status
• Birth or adoption of children/grandchildren
• Death of designated healthcare agent or alternates
• Developing a new medical condition or terminal illness
• Major changes in finances that could impact care options
• Moving to a new state (since laws around advance directives vary)
• Shifts in personal values or viewpoints on quality-of-life issues

Any significant transition is a good reminder to ensure your documents accurately reflect your current circumstances and deepest wishes.

Reviewing Your Healthcare Power of Attorney

Your healthcare power of attorney (or "healthcare proxy") document allows you to name someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. When reviewing this document, key areas to focus on include:

• Ensuring your designated agent is still the right person you want making choices for you based on your known preferences
• Verifying their contact information is correct and up-to-date
• Naming backup or successor agents in case your primary cannot serve
• Including personal instructions for your agent (e.g. prioritizing quality of life over all efforts to extend life)
• Adding specifications for mental health situations if needed

This document is only as reliable as the person you entrust with these weighty responsibilities. Don't hesitate to name a new agent if your relationship or their ability to uphold your wishes has changed.

Revisiting Your Living Will

Your living will spells out your preferences for life-sustaining medical treatments in end-of-life or permanently unconscious situations. Details to scrutinize include:

• Specifying ventilator use, resuscitation, feeding tubes and other interventions you do/don't want
• Outlining your priorities regarding pain management
• Treatment preferences for neurological conditions like dementia or brain injury
• Detailing your spiritual, personal or cultural values around end-of-life care
• Adding any new healthcare facility admissions/discharge instructions

As your health status evolves, your views on these issues may shift. An annual review allows you to refine this critical guidance for your care team.

How to Properly Update Your Documents

If any updates are needed based on your review, follow these steps:

1. Use your state's official advance directive forms - Requirements vary, so using legally valid documents is crucial.

2. Fill out forms thoroughly and accurately - Incomplete or contradictory paperwork leads to confusion.

3. Have documents properly witnessed and notarized - Most states require this for advance directives to be legally binding.

4. Provide updated copies to designated agents and doctors - They need your latest documents to follow your wishes.

5. Store originals safely and make backup copies - Misplacing documents causes major headaches down the road.

Don't put off these updates! Having properly executed advance directives in place provides invaluable reassurance.

Don't Forget to Share Updated Documents With Loved Ones

Once you've completed reviewing and updating your healthcare documents, take the final step of sharing copies with:

• Your designated healthcare agent(s)
• Other close family members who may be involved in your care
• Your doctor(s) to include in your permanent medical file
• Any hospital, assisted living facility or nursing home where you receive care

Having your most current advance directives on file in all the right places ensures your wishes will be properly known and followed when needed. Don't let your efforts go to waste by neglecting this crucial communication.

You may also want to discuss your updated preferences and reasoning with loved ones. This opens the door for important conversations to make sure they understand the intentions behind your directives.

Wrapping Up - Starting the Update Process Now

We understand - actually tackling healthcare directives isn't something to look forward to. Yet taking the time now to review and revise these vital documents provides immense value by:

• Ensuring your latest values and priorities accurately steer healthcare decisions
• Protecting you from receiving unwanted treatments or over-treatment
• Giving you control over extremely personal end-of-life care choices
• Sparing loved ones from guessing about your true wishes in a crisis

Once you complete the initial update process, maintaining your advance directives becomes an annual routine. Start by blocking time on your calendar for an upcoming weekend or evening to review your documents. Then follow the steps outlined here to make any needed changes.

If you don't yet have these healthcare documents in place, now is the perfect time to make that a priority. Don't wait! Your peace of mind tomorrow begins with these important actions today.