Durable powers of attorney for health care are an important component of your estate plan and can be very useful. However, the unique impacts of brain decay associated with dementia can make it all the more important to specifically consider a health care directive for this purpose. 
Someone who is non-responsive and completely bed ridden, for example, may require an entirely different set of instructions that an individual who has difficulty remembering whether or not they have turned off appliances. Alzheimer’s disease, unfortunately, is one of the most common health care problems facing those in their 70s and 80s.
One of the most important things you can do if you believe you are being affected by dementia is to ensure that you have documented who you want to take care of you in this situation. People who have advancing dementia lose the ability to make decisions for themselves and might need to rely on their family members to make decisions for them. As dementia gets worse, many procedures and medical tests become more difficult for the patient to go through, all of which carry the possibility of bad reactions and side effects.
Depending on the stage of the dementia, this can have serious repercussions for the entire family. There are many different options related to care as the disease advances. For example, you may wish to document various responses if you have severe dementia, such as receiving comfort-oriented care only, to only receive care in the place you are living, to receive treatments to prolong your life but not to receive resuscitation efforts.
All of these should be documented in a health care directive crafted by an experienced and knowledgeable estate planning lawyer. Dementia is hard on the entire family, but you can make things much easier for your entire family by working with a legal team who will put your needs front and center. Contact a MA estate planning lawyer to learn more.
