The Brain Injury Association of Michigan (BIAMI) is Michigan’s largest brain injury advocacy group. According to their website:
“Our mission is to advance brain injury prevention, research, treatment and education and to improve the quality of life for all individuals impacted by brain injury. Through advocacy, we bring help, hope and healing to millions of individuals living with brain injury, their families and the professionals who serve them.”
As part of their advocacy, the Brain Injury Association of Michigan hosts periodic seminars and conferences. The Probate Pro‘s Darren Findling was a featured speaker for Brain Injury Association of Michigan’s Legal Conference.
Brain Injury Association: Topics
Mr. Findling‘s presented on Advanced Directives and End of Life Issues. The presentation addressed estate planning issues including advanced directives such as Patient Advocate Designations, Living Wills, Medical Durable Power of Attorneys, Anatomical Gift Designations, Guardianship, Conservatorships and Do Not Resuscitate Orders.
Some of these terms can be confusing.
Do Not Resuscitate Order
A Do Not Resuscitate order, or DNR, is a legal directive to respect the wishes of a patient not to undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) if their heart were to stop or they were to stop breathing. A Do Not Resuscitate order allows you to choose before an emergency occurs whether you want CPR. It is a decision only about CPR. It does not affect other treatments, such as pain medicine, medicines, or nutrition.
Health Care Power of Attorney
You will sometimes hear this called a “patient advocate designation” or a “durable power of attorney for health care.” It is a document an adult can sign that gives someone else the authority to make care decisions when he or she is not capable. Those decisions could be about:
- health care
- mental health treatment
- living arrangements
Guardian
Sometimes adults need help taking care of themselves and making decisions. That’s why people can set up a guardianship. Michigan law allows a judge to appoint a “guardian” of an adult in certain situations where help is needed.
A guardian might be able to decide:
- where the person lives
- what medical care the person should receive
- who will care for the person every day
Conservator
A conservator is appointed by a judge to take care of another adult’s finances and assets. A conservator is not expected to use his or her own money to support the adult needing assistance. The court can also limit a conservator’s authority to certain kinds of decisions for the adult. The conservator:
- manages assets
- pays the bills
- makes general financial decisions for the person
If you would like to discuss the issues that The Probate Pro presented at the Brain Injury Association, please contact us.
The Probate Pro can assist with these important issues. Please contact The Probate Pro at (833) PROBATE.