After a dementia diagnosis, planning ahead becomes even more important. Taking steps now to formalize your wishes can bring peace of mind and make future decisions easier for your loved ones.
We encourage all individuals, especially those with a dementia diagnosis, to be sure they formalize their medical, financial and legal wishes. Planning ahead helps ensure everything is in place when it matters most.
When anyone visits a Riverside Medical Group office or is admitted to a Riverside hospital, they are asked if they have medical advanced directives and if there is a copy on file in the medical records. This is because we always want to be sure we are providing the care the patient wants.
There are two important components to medical advanced directives: healthcare proxy and a living will.
It is important to decide who you want to designate to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you are not able to do so. This can be called medical power of attorney or a healthcare proxy.
Living Will
This set of directives are specific instructions you give about what care should be given at the end of your life.
Usually these include your wishes on how aggressive the care should be to keep you alive and your end of life wishes, including:
- CPR to restart the heart
- The use of intubation and ventilators to support breathing
- The use of feeding tubes or intravenous hydration to support patients unable to eat or swallow
- Pain control and palliative care
- Hospice care
- If you prefer to die at home if possible
- If you want to be an organ donor
- If you want a brain autopsy
- Other specifics important to you
Medical Directive Resources
- Riverside’s medical advance directive information is located here. The website includes information from physicians as well as sample documents and materials in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.
- The Conversation Project is a guide that helps everyone talk about their wishes for care through the end of life so those wishes can be understood and respected. It offers great resources and information so the entire family can share their own wishes about end-of-life care.
- Honoring Virginia is another resource to help with advanced care planning. They provide appointments with advance care planning facilitators free of charge for all Virginia residents.
Taking the time to organize your legal and financial matters can greatly assist your friends and family. It is important to make and formalize these decisions while you still have the legal capacity to do so.
Common documents that are important to consider include a will, designating a durable power of attorney and living trusts.
It is important to talk to a lawyer about your individual situation so they can help you determine what the right documents are that need to be completed. For those unable to afford a lawyer, there are resources available through the local Agency on Aging.
Will
A will gives instructions on how a person’s estate, including property, money or other assets, is to be distributed after their death. The document can also give specific guidance on the care and guardianship of minors. Wills can also include direction on their wishes for a funeral and / or burial.
Durable Power of Attorney
Similar to a healthcare proxy or medical power of attorney, a durable power of attorney is a person designated to make legal and financial decisions on behalf of the individual when they are unable to do so.
Living Trust
A living trust is similar to a will, but it can go into effect before someone dies. It can be used to give a trustee access to an individual’s financial assets to care for someone unable to make decisions on their own.
Agency on Aging Contact Information
- Bay Aging 800-493-0238 Counties: Westmoreland, Northumberland, Richmond, Lancaster, Essex, Middlesex, Mathews, King & Queen. King William, & Gloucester
- Eastern Shore Area Agency on Aging- Community Action Agency, Inc. 800-452-5977 Counties: Accomack & Northampton
- Peninsula Agency on Aging, Inc. 757-873-0541 Counties: James City & York Cities: Williamsburg, Newport News, Hampton, & Poquoson
- Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia 757-461-9481 Counties: Southampton & Isle of Wight
Riverside’s Martha W. Goodson Center offers resources and support for families navigating dementia. Explore the online educational resources and learn about all the center has to offer caregivers.
