HEALTHCARE DECISIONS DAY (April 16)
Elder Law of Michigan
Kate White
Lansing, MI,--- In these uncertain times, we can still count on death and taxes. Now that your taxes are filed-- participate in National Healthcare Decisions Day on April 16-a day when you call the shots! Since anyone at any age could be in a serious car accident or suffer a sudden illness, creating a medical power of attorney and thinking about your wishes and desires is something we all can do.

The goal of National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD) is to promote conversations with our loved ones about what we'd want them to do if we were incapacitated and unable to speak for ourselves. NHDD is a collaborative effort of national, state, and community organizations committed to ensuring that people have the opportunity to arrange a person to be your health care advocate, to complete a health care power of attorney, update or create a will, and think about end of life arrangements.

Most Americans, ever hopeful, avoid conversations regarding our death or incapacity. We also deeply believe in each person's right to chart his or her own destiny. Making thoughtful and informed choices now may well simplify things later on for you, your family, your partners and loved ones.

Members of the GLBT community are free to take into account their own needs and interests when they create or draft documents like a medical power of attorney (designation of patient advocate forms as they are often known in Michigan) and by so doing, they overcome some of the legal assumptions made by Michigan laws that presume an Ozzie and Harriet or Homer and Marge family situation.

Members of the GLBT community should take the few extra simple steps needed to ensure that their preferred decision makers are empowered to act on their behalf. Without such documents in place, the law and medical professionals look to blood relatives in most situations for guidance and decisions, sometimes ignoring life partners, close friends or other chosen advocates.

With documents in place that reflect your wishes you go a long way to assuring that your wishes are upheld, and should an advocate on your behalf ever be needed, you have helped equip them by putting these items in place. The GLBT Legal Hotline, operated by Elder Law of Michigan, is available to help GLBT families statewide.

To ensure that you have a voice if you can't speak due to an accident or illness, and to clarify your end of life, funeral/burial/cremation arrangements, and distribution of property are in accordance with your wishes, take this opportunity to create the documents you need. The GLBT Legal Hotline is available to offer free legal advice, ideas on free forms to use, and strategies to protect your assets, rights and wishes. Call 1-877-452-8529 9 AM -5 PM, M-F or check online at www.glbtlaw.org for access to an attorney for free assistance and legal information and forms. The GLBT Legal Hotline is funded by the Arcus Foundation and the Hope Fund.

National Healthcare Decisions Day seeks to address the public's misconceptions about healthcare planning and advance directives, by addressing fallacies such as:

* A living will and a healthcare power of attorney are the same;
* Advance directives are only for limiting care;
* A lawyer is required to draft an advance directive and/or that it is impossible to do; and
* Severe illness or a catastrophic injury will never happen to them.

Most people reach a point at some time in their life when they need someone to take care of things for them, even if only temporarily. Don't wait until it's too late. Helpful attorneys can talk to you about these issues through a free telephone call to the GLBT Legal Hotline (for Michigan Residents), at 1-877-452-8529 or www.glbtlaw.org. #
[4/14/08]