Elder Care Attorney: First and Last Line of Defense

Many individuals believe that when they sign their Advance Directive and Health Care Surrogate forms, they have taken care of their future medical preferences. In fact, there any many medical, institutional and practical obstacles that can negatively impact on these documents being honored. Hospitals raise religious objections, assisted living facilities deny patients’ rights to refuse medical care, and surrogates lack full knowledge of how decisions will impact on the patient’s quality of life. The Elder Care Lawyer role is transitioning to a continuum of oversight, ensuring that documents evolve to reflect current preferences, that surrogates remain capable and that patient rights are respected by medical staff. The increased litigation over wrongful prolongation of life indicates that earlier involvement by Elder Care attorneys is critical to avoid unnecessary suffering. This course will discuss patient rights, as well as how and why they are too often ignored. It will focus on legal avenues to address these issues and also provide information on how to advise clients seeking autonomy as they face end of life issues.