Incapacity planning is part of the equation if you want to be comprehensively prepared for the eventualities of aging. Many people become unable to communicate medical decisions at the end of their lives, and you can account for this through the creation of legal documents called advance directives for health care.
Life Support
During our modern era, medical professionals can sometimes use artificial life-sustaining measures to keep terminal patients alive for indefinite periods of time. Exactly how you would want doctors to proceed under these circumstances is a personal matter. Some people would rather let nature take its course under these circumstances.
You can state your preferences with regard to the utilization of life-sustaining measures in no uncertain terms if you create a living will. Once this document has been properly executed, everyone in your family will know your true wishes, and doctors would be legally compelled to follow your instructions.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
The living will is one of two advance directives for health care that should be part of your incapacity plan. A durable power of attorney for health care or health care proxy is the other one.
A living will is going to address the specific issue of the utilization of life-support. There could be other types of medical scenarios that could come about while you are unable to communicate your choices in real time. To account for this, you can empower someone to make medical decisions on your behalf through the execution of a durable power of attorney for health care.
We should point out the fact that your incapacity plan could also include a durable financial power of attorney that names someone to handle your finances if you become incapacitated at some point in time.
Attend an Upcoming Seminar
Our firm offers complimentary estate planning seminars on an ongoing basis, and you can learn a great deal if you attend one of these information sessions. We have a number of seminars coming up over the next couple of weeks, and you should be able to find a session that fits into your schedule.
Though the seminars are complimentary to attend, we do ask that you register in advance so that we can reserve your seat. To see the schedule, view our list of available events here.
Mr. Nirenstein is licensed to practice before the courts of the State of Connecticut and the United States District Court. He is a member of the Connecticut and Hartford County Bar Associations, and the Estate and Probate, Elder Law, Business Law and Real Estate Sections of the Connecticut Bar Association.
- Connecticut Estate Administration: 5 Things You Need to Know About Probate - August 18, 2026
- High-Net-Worth Estate Planning: Strategies to Preserve Your Wealth - July 30, 2026
- How to Use a Living Trust to Stagger an Inheritance - July 23, 2026
( By appointment only )