Legal Documents You Need for Your Parent in Senior Care

Do you have a parent in senior care, or are you getting ready to enroll a parent in senior care services? If you answered “yes” to either question, then it will be beneficial to familiarize yourself with the legal documents below that are needed for a parent in senior care.

Advanced Directive

Having an advanced directive in place is crucial for a senior in senior care. Advanced directives are a collection of documents that detail your senior’s instructions and preferences for medical treatments and comfort in regards to their end of life care. An advanced directive becomes increasingly important if and when your senior is unable to speak for themselves.

Living Will

Next, there is a living will, which is a critical component of an advanced directive. This is the document that will outline your senior’s wishes for their end of life care. A living will also lets healthcare providers and physicians know about your senior’s wishes if they are being carried out by a healthcare proxy (see more information on healthcare proxies below).

DNR & DNI

These two documents are necessary to define your seniors’ preferences when it comes to resuscitation or intubation. DNR stands for “Do Not Resuscitate” while DNI means “Do Not Intubate.” DNR orders state that an individual does not want CPR, chest compressions, or the use of a defibrillator to keep them alive. DNI orders state that an individual does not want a breathing tube inserted to keep them alive. We suggest having an open an honest discussion with your senior regarding these documents.

Power of Attorney

There are two types of power of attorney to set in place: Durable and healthcare/healthcare proxy. The first, a durable power of attorney, gives another person the legal right to conduct all matters on behalf of your senior. This includes matters related to real estate, banking, finance, government benefits, and medical. The second, a healthcare/healthcare proxy power of attorney, lets your senior appoint another person to ensure their wishes about end of life care are honored if they cannot speak for themselves.

Will and/or Trust

A will or a trust are legal documents that involve settling matters pertaining to the disposition of your senior’s property or their possessions. We recommend that your senior establish these types of documents with an attorney.
We understand it can be overwhelming enrolling a parent into senior care services and getting these documents in order, but we are ready to help at Home Care Assistance! Call us today for your consultation.

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