Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry (AzHDR) and Your Will: Protecting Your Care

Some life events leave people unprepared until it is too late, such as a sudden illness, injury, or death. Trying to figure out what comes next is crucial, but grief and uncertainty can cloud judgment and make navigating the medical and legal intricacies that come with impairment or incapacitation challenging. But there’s good news: Outlining your wishes in a will and an Arizona healthcare directive can offer you and your loved ones peace of mind.

 The Importance of a Will During Estate Planning

A last will and testament is a legal document stating your wishes after your death. In addition to specifying how your assets should be distributed, you can also designate a personal representative (executor) who will carry out the will’s directives. You can also appoint a legal guardian for any minor children in your will.

Understanding Advance Directives

A will is one of the most effective tools to manage and distribute your assets and should be an essential part of your estate plan. However, it is only one aspect of a comprehensive approach. Advance healthcare directives are another.

What Is an Advance Directive?

An advance directive is a set of legal documents that allow you to express your healthcare preferences and appoint a trusted agent to act on your behalf if you become injured or incapacitated and are unable to communicate directly with caregivers. In Arizona, advance directives include a living will, healthcare power of attorney, mental health care power of attorney, and a prehospital medical care directive.

Living Will

In a living will, you can decide and outline the types of medical care you wish to receive if you cannot directly communicate with medical staff. It specifies the treatments and life-sustaining measures you do or do not want healthcare providers to use to stabilize your health or prolong your life in certain situations.

Healthcare Power of Attorney (HCPOA) and Mental Healthcare Power of Attorney (MHCPOA)

A healthcare power of attorney (HCPA) or mental healthcare power of attorney (MHCPA) allows you to appoint a trusted person to make medical or behavioral health decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. Designating an agent formally clarifies your end-of-life preferences and can reduce the likelihood of family disputes during a medical or mental health crisis.

Prehospital Medical Care Directives

A prehospital medical care directive is commonly known as a do-not-resuscitate order (DNR). This document, signed by you and a licensed healthcare provider, notifies emergency personnel that you do not want CPR if you go into cardiac or respiratory arrest. 

What is the Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry (AzHDR)?

The Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry (AzHDR) is a statewide database that helps residents store, manage, and access their valid advance directives in a single, secure online location. The Arizona Secretary of State’s Office maintains the registry in partnership with statewide healthcare providers. The site provides a simple interface that gives authorized users immediate access to crucial healthcare and advance directive information.

Should I Register my Arizona Healthcare Directives?

Many individuals find it beneficial to keep all their advance directives and medical information in one centralized location. You can set permissions to allow authorized family members to access your information in AzHDR, reducing confusion and medical delays in an emergency. The registry can provide you with peace of mind that legally valid documents concerning your healthcare wishes are available whenever and wherever they are needed.

How an Arizona Estate Planning Attorney Can Help

Communicating your preferences regarding medical care in a crisis is a core part of the estate planning process. At Pennington Law, PLLC, our experienced estate planning attorneys can prepare living wills, POAs, and other legal instruments that clearly spell out your wishes and guide your family members and medical providers in following them.

Don’t wait for the unthinkable to occur. Protect yourself and your family today by calling or contacting our law firm for a free consultation.