Steps to Take After a Terminal Illness Diagnosis

Hartford elder law lawyers can provide compassionate and knowledgeable legal representation for people who are facing some of the most difficult and personal decisions in their lives. One situation in which our legal team can help you is if you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. This is a diagnosis that no one ever wants to hear, but knowing in advance that you have limited time left can allow you to make plans for end-of-life issues and can allow you to put plans in place for making sure you leave a strong legacy behind.

If you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, there are a number of things you should strongly consider doing as soon as possible. Hartford elder law attorneys at Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates can assist you in taking steps to get your affairs in order so you don’t put your family in a precarious position at the end of your life or after your death. Give us a call today to find out how we can help. 

Planning for End of Life Issues After a Diagnosis of a Terminal Illness

If you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, the first thing you will need to do is make some difficult medical choices.

One option, which many people opt for, is to go into hospice care. Hospice care focuses on making your last days comfortable and focuses on supporting your loved ones who come to spend time with you. Unlike other healthcare environments, where the goal may be to try every possible aggressive measure to help you live a few days longer, hospice is about ensuring a peaceful transition and maximizing the quality of time you have left with your loved ones.

Whether you opt for hospice care or choose another alternative, you should make plans to express your preferences on health care as soon as possible after your diagnosis. This is important in case a day comes when you will no longer be able to communicate or to express your wishes due to the progression of your terminal illness.

Legal tools like advanced directives give you the opportunity to make your wishes known on specific medical procedures. You can decline care you won’t want when you are sick. For example, you can specify when and if doctors should use extraordinary measures to keep you alive. You can also name a healthcare proxy, or a person who is given the authority to make any decisions you didn’t address in advance. Your healthcare proxy can make choices on your behalf.

Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates helps you make use of these common tools to plan ahead after a diagnosis of a terminal illness. We will also help you to choose the right legal tools to create for your end-of-life plan and legacy plan so you can make a plan that is just right for you.

Planning for Your Legacy After Being Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness

Planing ahead to avoid unwanted medical care, or to express your preference that you would prefer lifesaving care, is just one of the steps that you should take after a diagnosis of a terminal illness.

You should also talk with Hatford elder law lawyers about how you can leave the strongest legacy. This means finding ways to transfer as much money and as many assets as possible to your loved ones and to causes that matter to you. You can create a last will and testament’ use trusts to transfer assets more quickly and to better prevent loss of assets; and use tools like charitable foundations to make a bigger mark on the world. Your goals are your own, but you don’t have time to waste in putting plans in place to help you achieve those goals. Don’t go too long before you make your plans or it may be too late.

Getting Help from Hartford Elder Law Lawyers

Hartford elder law attorneys at Nirenstein, Horowitz & Associates can provide invaluable assistance with responding to a diagnosis of a terminal illness. Our experienced attorneys  will offer you compassionate advice that will allow you as much autonomy and empower you as much possible to control the rest of your life and your legacy.

To find out more about how our legal team can assist you after any kind of health emergency, or to discover how our legal team can help you to prepare in advance in case such an emergency were to occur, give us a call at 860-548-1000 or contact us online today. You can also join us for a free seminar to discover more.