Wisconsin Lawyer
Vol. 78, No. 6, June
2005
Advance Directives Record Individuals' Wishes
The Schiavo case has important implications for doctors, patients and
their loved ones, attorneys, and others in Wisconsin and nationwide.
Most importantly, the case highlights the importance of clearly
expressing one's medical treatment preferences in advance of incapacity.
Forms and additional information are readily available, often at no
cost. Do your clients a favor - educate them about the need for these
directives.
A living will, also known as a Declaration to
Physicians, enables adults to state their preferences concerning
life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes in the event the person is
in a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state. An individual
can obtain up to four free copies of this document by sending a stamped
self-addressed business size envelope to Living Will, Division of
Health, P.O. Box 309, Madison, WI 53701-0309. The document also can be
obtained from the Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) Web
site at www.dhfs.state.wi.us/forms/AdvDirectives/poalwill.pdf.
A Power
of Attorney for Health Care form
60 KB makes it possible for adults to
authorize other individuals to make health care decisions on their
behalf should they become incapacitated. Two free copies of the form can
be obtained by sending a stamped self-addressed business size envelope
to Power of Attorney, Division of Health, P.O. Box 309, Madison, WI
53701-0309.
State Bar Resources. The State Bar, in conjunction with the
State Medical Society of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Health and Hospital
Association and with support from Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, has
produced a consumer guide to assist individuals with future health care
planning. A Gift to Your Family: Planning Ahead for Future Health
Needs is a 28-page booklet that includes state forms, answers
questions about advance care planning, and encourages the discussion of
health issues and preferences within families. A free PDF version of
A Gift to Your Family is available from the State Bar's
consumer Web site, LegalExplorer, at
www.legalexplorer.com/HealthPlanning. Copies of the booklet may be
purchased for $2.99 each (including shipping); State Bar members receive
a discounted rate of $1 each (plus tax and shipping) for bulk
orders.
Answering Your Legal Questions About Health Care,
part of the State Bar's consumer pamphlet series, answers basic
questions about individuals' legal rights regarding medical treatment,
advance health care directives, access to medical records, emergency
treatment, organ donation, and experimental medical treatments. It also
contains a list of helpful resources for more information. Bulk copies
and display racks for use in law firms also are available. The pamphlet
can be viewed on LegalExplorer at
www.legalexplorer.com/HealthCareQuestions where you can download a
sample copy. The pamphlet is not available for mass printing from the
Web.
State Bar CLE Books' treatise, Advising Older Clients and
Their Families, vols. I and II, provides a much-needed guide to
Wisconsin elder law. Written and reviewed by more than 60 outstanding
Wisconsin practitioners, the handbook covers the full range of issues
facing Wisconsin's elderly residents and their families. The book also
is available on CD-ROM (owners of the hardcopy book are entitled to a
discount price) and online.
For more information or to order these and related State Bar
resources, please call (800) 728-7788 or visit www.wisbar.org.
Wisconsin
Lawyer