Scranton Healthcare Surrogate Lawyer
Whether you are middle aged and in the prime of your life or a senior citizen who has already noticed a decline in health, you can benefit from a healthcare surrogate. A healthcare surrogate makes health decisions for you in the event that you become incapacitated and cannot make decisions for yourself. Examples of when a healthcare surrogate would make medical decisions for you include:
- Coma caused by a stroke;
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI);
- Dementia or Alzheimer’s;
- Heart attack resulting in brain damage; and
- Many other scenarios.
The Time to Take Action is Now
You may have put it off in the past, but there really is no better time to talk to an attorney about creating a healthcare surrogate than today. After all, no one can predict, with much accuracy, when one will suffer a stroke, traumatic brain injury from a fall, or debilitating Alzheimer’s or dementia. Humans have a bizarre way of thinking about the reality of disaster striking, which may help us keep a positive outlook on life when things are not so rosy, but at the same time harms us when it comes to long-term planning for the worst. Only 2.7 percent of Americans live a healthy lifestyle, according to a study by the Mayo Clinic and reported on by The Atlantic. This is in direct contrast with a poll that reveals that 75 percent of Americans report that they eat healthfully, according to NPR. Unfortunately, denial has no place when it comes to making important decisions regarding the type of treatment you wish to receive if you are in a coma or heavily sedated on pain medication.
Is a Living Will Enough? It May Not Be
A living will accomplishes many of the same goals that a healthcare surrogate accomplishes. So, is there a point to designating a healthcare surrogate if you have a living will or advance health directive? The short answer is yes. This is because a living will or advance health directive may not cover everything. There could very well be medical conditions or accidents that a directive or will fails to take into consideration. This is where having a person in charge of your health decision becomes vital when it comes to making the best decision for you. A healthcare surrogate is usually a person with whom you share a strong relationship—a person who knows you well enough to know what you would want to have happen in the event of an unexpected and unpredictable medical or health catastrophe.
Reach Out to One of the Attorneys at Haggerty Hinton & Cosgrove LLP
Planning for the worst is hard when it comes to your own health and well-being. That does not mean that anyone should put it off, or assume that everything will somehow work out for the best. If you can plan for it, you and your family will be better off because of your foresight. Call the healthcare surrogate attorneys of Haggerty Hinton & Cosgrove LLP today at 570-344-9845 or contact to set up a consultation today.
