The Rounds: Planning ahead with advance directives

Many of us don’t think we need advance care planning in the form of advance directives.  However, imagine you were in a serious car accident and were left unable to speak for yourself. Who would speak for you? Who would make medical decisions about your care?

If your immediate answer is a family member, you should know that in some states, like Wisconsin, you need legal paperwork to designate even a family member to make health care decisions for you.  You can do this in an advance directive, sometimes known as a living will, a written statement of your wishes about future health care decisions and who can make medical decisions for you if you can’t communicate.

Listen as Marilyn Follen and Penney Dupee, Marshfield Clinic Health System advance care planning coordinators, discuss why you should prepare for the unexpected with an advance directive.Our Advance Care Planning Facilitators will guide you in a thought provoking conversation that will help think about your health care wishes in advance, before you face a medical crisis. They will then help you complete your advance care plan including an advance directive. This service is available at no cost. To schedule an appointment, please contact via email or phone:

The Rounds: Planning ahead with advance directives (text transcription)

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