First and foremost, let’s address a common misconception we’re seeing right now: a Living Will is NOT the same as a Last Will and Testament. The terms “living will” and “medical directives” are hot ...

Advice offered by Marc Hebert, president of The Harbor Group Inc., a certified financial planner. If you have any questions about finance or if you'd like to suggest a future topic, email ...

Any complete estate plan should include a medical directive. This term may encompass a number of different documents, including a health care proxy, a durable power of attorney for health care, a ...

Completing an advance directive form is a great way to write down health care wishes before a medical crisis occurs. These legal documents help loved ones and doctors know what medical treatments a ...

States generally allow a person (principal) to appoint another person (agent) to make health care decisions, receive protected health information, or both on the principal’s behalf. In many states, ...

An advance directive is a way to tell your loved ones and doctors your wishes if something happens and you can’t speak for yourself. A directive can include the type and extent of your medical care.

Dear Doctor: I recently read about advance directives that deal only with dementia. Is there some benefit to those over the more traditional directives? If so, how do I go about creating one? Dear ...

Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor, and holds certifications as a personal trainer and weightlifting coach. She has been writing about health for over 10 years. If you ended up ...

We hear a lot of talk about being prepared for an emergency. Some emergencies in life are medical, and there’s a way to plan ahead for how to handle emergency medical care for yourself or your loved ...

Estate planning is a complex world for most Americans. For many, the process can seem overwhelming and expensive. For others, it is uncomfortable to confront one’s mortality and requires tough ...

I write a lot about being organized and prepared to avoid chaos in tough situations. Medical emergencies are a perfect example of the type of situation where planning ahead and detailing what you want ...

BOISE, Idaho — On the day Steve Bair’s father died in 2017 in eastern Idaho, “He had been quite ill, and we took him to the hospital in Idaho Falls,” Bair recalled. “The doctor came in and said, ‘Does ...