Many people think that advance directives apply only to someone who has lived a long life and is now close to death. But, just like the question, “When does caregiving begin?,” the answer could easily be, “suddenly — in the blink of an eye — because of a car accident, a stroke, a heart attack or another medical emergency.”
My wife and I created our advance directives in 2006, just before my spinal surgery. Had something gone wrong, my wife had full legal authority to make any necessary medical decisions for me … Continue Reading →