Those documents may have included a blanket prohibition against intubation, ventilators or utilization of experimental drug testing.
Health care documents can include different terminology - advance medical directives; health care power of attorney; advance health care directives; living will; health care proxy; medical preferences for end of life decisions.
Your estate planning documents may also reference certain medical restrictions as to certain other life saving procedures.
During the COVID-19 epidemic, the use of intubation and ventilators along with the testing of experimental drugs have been utilized by hospitals to help critically ill patients recover. Intubation could include respiratory intubation and endotracheal tube in addition to ventilators.
In addition, consider that your health care agent or the person you designated to make healthcare decisions for you may not be permitted to enter the hospital due to COVID restrictions. If this is the case, you may not have the opportunity to alter or sign changes to documents while hospitalized. If you contract COVID-19 you may be too ill to approve the changes that allow for the use of a ventilator or intubation.
Take the time before the end of year to review your medical proxy, medical power of attorney and estate planning documents.
After the review, if you feel that the COVDI-19 situation has affected the terms in any of those documents or if you have questions, consult with your estate planning advisor to make any necessary alterations/revisions to the documents.
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