• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Our Firm
    • About Our Firm
    • Attorney and Staff Profiles
  • Services
    • Asset Protection & Business Planning
    • Elder Law & Medicaid Services
    • Estate and Gift Tax Figures
    • Estate Planning Services
    • Family-Owned Businesses & Farms
    • Legacy Planning
    • LGBTQ Estate Planning
    • Pet Planning
    • SECURE Act
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust Administration & Probate
  • Elder Law
    • Coping With Alzheimer’s
    • Emergency Medicaid & Nursing Home Planning
    • Guardianship & Conservatorship
    • Hospice Care
    • Medicaid Planning
    • Veterans Benefits
  • Seminars
  • Areas We Serve
    • Ballwin
    • Chesterfield
    • Clayton
    • Creve Couer
    • Des Peres
    • Edwardsville
    • Fenton
    • Glen Carbon
    • Glendale
    • Kirkwood
    • Maryland Heights
    • Oakland
    • Sappington
    • St. Louis
    • Sunset Hills
    • Valley Park
    • Webster Groves
  • Resources
    • Asset Protection Worksheet
    • Elder Law Resources
      • Chesterfield Elder Law
      • Fenton Elder Law
      • Kirkwood Elder Law
      • Sunset Hills Elder Law
      • St. Louis Elder Law
      • St. Peters Elder Law
      • Webster Groves Elder Law
    • FREE Estate Planning Seminars
    • FREE Estate Planning Worksheet
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Estate Planning
      • Families Without an Estate Plan
      • Legacy Wealth Planning
      • LGBTQ Estate Planning
      • Trust Administration & Probate
    • Is Your Estate Plan Outdated?
    • Medicaid Resources
    • Multimedia
    • Newsletters
    • Presentations
    • Pre Consultation Form
    • Probate Checklist
    • Probate Resources
    • Retirement Planning Checklist
    • Special Reports
      • Advanced Estate Planning
      • Basic Estate Planning
      • Estate Planning For Niches
      • Trust Administration
  • Reviews
    • Our Reviews
    • Review Us
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Amen, Gantner & Capriano | Your Estate Matters, L.L.C.

St. Louis Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys

Logo
CONNECT WITH US TODAY (314) 966-8077
ATTEND A FREE WEBINAR
Home / Elder Law / Advance Directives: Expect The Unexpected

Advance Directives: Expect The Unexpected

March 25, 2011

Elder Law Tagged With: advance directives, elder law, incapacity planning

One of the primary reasons people wind up procrastinating with regard to creating an estate plan is because they feel as though they’re not going to become incapacitated or pass away any time soon. The truth of the matter is that if we lived in a world full of statistics they may have a point depending on their age. At the present time the average lifespan is 78.4 years in the United States, and people are living longer and longer all the time.

It would be very convenient if we knew in advance exactly when we were going to pass away, but unfortunately things don’t work that way. People of all ages are stricken by devastating illnesses each and every day, and of course accidents on the roadways are the leading killer of our youth. So estate and incapacity planning are not just for the elderly; they are essential for anyone who acknowledges that life is precious but death is inevitable, and when it will come cannot be predicted with any certainty.

With this in mind we would like to point out the importance of the execution of advance health care directives for all adults. The advance directives that are widely used are the living will and durable medical power of attorney, which is sometimes called a health care proxy. With a living will you state your medical preferences in writing with regard to things like life-support systems and whether or not you would like to be kept alive via the use of artificial means should you fall into a terminal condition at some point in time.

A durable medical power of attorney or health care proxy is used to appoint an individual of your choosing who is empowered to make medical choices for you should you be unable to do so for yourself in real-time. The reason why it could be a good idea to have both of these documents in place is because it is hard to cover every possibility in a single document such as a living will. Executing a health care proxy puts a decision-maker in place who can act with knowledge of your general viewpoint in instances that may not be specifically covered in the living will.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Paul Gantner
Paul Gantner
I am an owner of Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, L.L.C. I have been able to bring my business and legal education and experience into a firm that has for many years provided comprehensive estate plans that meet clients’ needs and expectations.My passion has been creating and constantly pushing AGC’s mission of “Helping Families Secure their Legacies by Embracing them into the Law Firm Family through Long-term, Personal Advisory Relationships.”
Paul Gantner
Latest posts by Paul Gantner (see all)
  • Lessons from Patagonia - January 5, 2023
  • Planning for the “Silver Tsunami” - December 29, 2022
  • More than Just Salad Dressing: The Ongoing Saga of Newman’s Own Foundation - December 22, 2022

Filed Under: Elder Law Tagged With: advance directives, elder law, incapacity planning

Other Articles You May Find Useful

Affton elder law attorneys
What Is a Reverse Mortgage?
Amen, Gantner & Capriano | Your Estate Matters, L.L.C.
Key Social Security Retirement Facts You Should Know
Kirkwood elder law attorneys
What Should I Do after Being Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?
St. Louis elder law attorneys
St. Louis Elder Law Attorneys — Is It Alzheimer’s or Just the Natural Aging Process?
Creve Couer elder law attorneys
Creve Couer Elder Law Attorneys Answer Top 5 Elder Law Questions
Amen, Gantner & Capriano | Your Estate Matters, L.L.C.
Missouri Medicaid and Medicare – What Is the Difference?

About Paul Gantner

I am an owner of Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, L.L.C. I have been able to bring my business and legal education and experience into a firm that has for many years provided comprehensive estate plans that meet clients’ needs and expectations. My passion has been creating and constantly pushing AGC’s mission of “Helping Families Secure their Legacies by Embracing them into the Law Firm Family through Long-term, Personal Advisory Relationships.”

Primary Sidebar

Download our free Estate Planning Worksheet

There's a lot that goes into setting up a comprehensive estate plan, but with our FREE worksheet, you'll be one step closer to getting yourself and your family on the path to a secure and happy future.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube

Blog Subscription

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Where We Are

Amen, Gantner & Capriano
10733 Sunset Office Drive, Suite 425
St. Louis, MO 63127

See Larger MapGet directions

Office Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Map

map for Amen, Gantner & Capriano Your Estate Matters office
  • Advantages of Working With Our Firm
  • About The American Academy
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us

Footer

Connect to us

  • Facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube
footer-logo

© 2023 American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.

Amen, Gantner & Capriano,
Your Estate Matters, LLC

Attorney Advertisement