It is important to plan ahead for the possibility of a serious illness that may make it impossible for someone to make his own medical…

Try: It is important to plan ahead for the possibility of a serious illness that may make it impossible for someone to make his own medical decisions as a result of many well-publicized right to die cases states have made it possible for individuals to give detailed instructions about the kind of care they would like to receive if they become terminally ill or are in a permanently unconscious state these instructions fall under the general category of health care decision making depending on the state in which you live this may be written in a health care proxy a medical directive or a living will below is a brief overview of a health care proxy health care proxy if an individual becomes unable to make his own medical decisions it is important that someone have the legal authority to communicate that person person’s wishes about medical treatment a health care proxy allows an individual to appoint someone else called an agent to act as their agent for medical decisions a health care proxy is especially important to have if an individual and his family members disagree about treatment in general a health care proxy takes effect only when the individual requires medical treatment and a doctor determines that he is unable to communicate his or her wishes concerning treatment how this works exactly can depend on the laws of the particular state and the terms of the health care proxy if the individual later becomes able to express his or her own wishes he or she will be listened to and the health care proxy will have no effect appointing an agent the agent should be a family member or friend that the individual trusts to follow his or her instructions before creating a health care proxy the individual should talk to the person whom he or she wants to name as the agent about his wishes about medical decisions especially life-saving treatment once the health care proxy is drawn up the agent should keep the original document the individual should have a copy and give one to his doctor to keep with the individual’s medical records those interested in drawing up a health care proxy document should contact an attorney who is skilled and experienced in elder law many hospitals and nursing homes also provide forms as do some public agencies information references "health care decisions " available at

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Categories: Sage, Topic, Legal, Medical Physical, Verbal Communication, Poor Verbal Comm, Cognitive Awareness, Unaware

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Keywords: Health care legal proxy unable to communicate medical decisions

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Care givers are often involved with a Care recipient (cr) who has a guardian sometimes the care giver is also the guardian for the cr…

Try: Care givers are often involved with a Care recipient (cr) who has a guardian sometimes the care giver is also the guardian for the cr guardianship refers to the legal process for placing a decision maker in control for the mentally incapacitated person it is important to know how to properly supervise a guardian to guarantee the cr cr’s needs are taken care of appropriately guardians with control of the incapacitated person’s estate must keep accurate records accounting often must be reported to the court on at least an annual basis guardians of the person generally have to report to the court less frequently however guardians of the person often must submit written reports or are subject to court appointed visitors to check in on the incapacitated person reporting requirements often include describing the health of the incapacitated person his living conditions and other subjects overall guardians have a responsibility to look after the best interests of the incapacitated person this should also be the overall priority when you are supervising the guardian information references

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Categories: Legal

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Keywords: Legal incapacity court supervision accounting

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

It is important that a caregiver understand and be knowledge if the Care recipient (cr) has a living will the existence of a living will…

Try: It is important that a caregiver understand and be knowledge if the Care recipient (cr) has a living will the existence of a living will can affect the cr’s medical treatment like other advanced care directives a living will is only applicable if the cr is mentally incapacitated if the cr has capacity he can amend or repeal the living will and he can make determinations on medical treatment a living will describes the type of medical care the cr desires and the conditions when life sustaining treatment should be administered or removed living wills are a creature of state laws and are designed to give the cr the ability to terminate future care in the event of terminal illness or a vegetative state information references

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Health care decisions capacity

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

A living will describes the type of medical care the cr desires and the conditions when life sustaining treatment should be administered or removed before…

Try: A living will describes the type of medical care the cr desires and the conditions when life sustaining treatment should be administered or removed before the care recipient’s cr living will can have effect on his treatment it must be legally valid as a formal legal document living wills have specific requirements under state law state law varies but some basic principles apply the living will must be in writing not oral and must be signed by the cr many states require that two or more individuals witness the signing of the living will individuals with a potential conflict of interest spouse heirs medical providers are often not able to serve as a witness also state law may have special rules if the cr is a nursing home resident or another medical facility state law will often provide a model form for legal wills this can be helpful if the cr cannot afford an attorney or if time is critical if the cr has any questions encourage him or her to contact an attorney for legal advice information references

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Legal medical treatment decisions

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

You should know if the Care recipient (cr) has an advance health care directive in case there is a major medical emergency in addition you…

Try: You should know if the Care recipient (cr) has an advance health care directive in case there is a major medical emergency in addition you should know the location of the advance health care directive in the event of a major medical emergency the document should be easy to get to advance health care directives are written directives that give direction or guidance for the cr’s medical care in the event that he or she is mentally incapacitated advance health care directives may either state the cr’s wishes regarding future treatment or can also appoint a surrogate decision maker to make medical decisions the documents can be written in a variety of ways some are very specific or formal these are often drafted by an attorney other directives are simple or vague some states have standardized forms that can be used as an advance health care directives the validity of the advance health care directive often turns on knowledge of its existence and the medical provider and family’s willingness to follow the directive although it is often legally binding violations may not be redressed unless someone brings it to a court’s attention information references

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Capacity end of life decision making

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

In determining their medical care care recipients cr’s have the right to control their medical treatment physicians and medical providers are required by law and…

Try: In determining their medical care care recipients cr’s have the right to control their medical treatment physicians and medical providers are required by law and medical ethics to obtain the informed consent of their crs before initiating treatment the doctrine of informed consent requires that the cr must be provided with sufficient information to be able to give meaningful consent to medical treatment informed consent law allows the cr to sue a healthcare provider who does not obtain the crs consent prior to administering the medical care however exceptions do exist to the informed consent requirement for example during an emergency the cr may not be able to consent to treatment information references

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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Keywords: Legal medical treatment consent

*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Medicare enrollees are not required to buy a medigap policy it is optional coverage individuals must generally have medicare part a and part b before…

Try: Medicare enrollees are not required to buy a medigap policy it is optional coverage individuals must generally have medicare part a and part b before they can purchase a medigap policy medigap policies fill part of the gaps in coverage that medicare parts a and b don’t cover enrollees will have to pay the medicare part b premium and a premium to an insurance company for the additional medigap policy most people enroll in medicare at age 65 within six months of first signing up for medicare part b medicare has an open enrollment period enrollees have guaranteed enrollment in a medigap policy during this time after the open enrollment period the insurance company may require medical screening or may require additional testing before issuing a policy however during the open enrollment period an insurance company must sell you the policy of your choice regardless of your medical history the insurance provider isn’t permitted to place any additional limitations on the plans coverage and the premiums must be the same for everyone else when they first purchased the medigap policy it is also important to note that not everyone can buy any medigap policy at any time individuals may be limited by when they apply or the previous coverage they had medicare enrollees must consider these restrictions when buying a medigap policy

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Medicare only allows private insurance companies to sell certain types of medigap policies medicare regulates and determines the insurance policies that can be offered insurance…

Try: Medicare only allows private insurance companies to sell certain types of medigap policies medicare regulates and determines the insurance policies that can be offered insurance companies can only offer one of the standard medigap policies you may be able to choose up to 12 different standardized medigap policies medigap plans a through l medigap policies must follow legal restrictions that are designed to protect enrollees and make comparisons easier each plan a through l has a different set of basic and extra benefits enrollees should consider their current coverage and what additional coverage they need when considering one of the plans enrollees should compare medigap policies because costs can vary while the benefits in any medigap plan a through l are the same for any insurance company the costs can differ plan a may cost more for one insurance company than another also each insurance company decides whether it wants to sell each of the different medigap policies resource for help selecting a medigap policy visit

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Medicare pays for many of the healthcare costs of enrollees however certain medical costs are not covered by medicare or are only partially paid for…

Try: Medicare pays for many of the healthcare costs of enrollees however certain medical costs are not covered by medicare or are only partially paid for private insurance companies have created policies that supplement medicare and cover some of the expenses that are not included in medicare coverage medigap or medicare supplement refers to private insurance plans sold to medicare beneficiaries that provide coverage for medical expenses not or only partially covered by medicare if the individual is in medicare and also has a medigap policy then medicare and the medigap policy will both pay their shares of covered health care costs medicare only allows private insurance companies to sell certain types of medigap policies the policies are determined by medicare and heavily regulated by the government each medigap plan varies on the amount of coverage and benefits so it is essential to closely compare plans

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed

Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older some disabled people under age 65 and people of all ages with end-stage…

Try: Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older some disabled people under age 65 and people of all ages with end-stage renal disease permanent kidney failure treated with dialysis or a transplant there are two parts of medicare each with their own eligibility requirements medicare part a is available for anyone who is over age 65 or to an individual who is permanently disabled and who is eligible for social security you are eligible for medicare part a if you are age 65 or older and a u s citizen or a legally admitted alien who has resided in the u s continuously for at least five years; a disabled person regardless of age who has been entitled to social security widows or railroad retirement disability benefits for 25 months; an individual who has end-stage renal disease that requires dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant medicare part b is available for anyone over age 65 regardless of social security eligibility medicare recipients who are eligible for part a are automatically enrolled in part b unless they opt out part b enrollees pay a monthly premium that is adjusted annually medicare part c is available to those who individuals who are already members of medicare part a and part b medicare part d is available to those who individuals who are already members of medicare part a or part b to determine your edibility visit the medicare website home myenrollment#tabtop

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Categories: Legal, Medical Physical

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*This information is listed as a Fact Sheet and is not explicitly medically licensed