Planning for Illness or Death
by: Wyoming Legal Services (Legal Services Developer)
BEGINNING JULY 1, 2005, ALL LIVING WILL, DURABLE POWERS OF ATTORNEY (DPOA) AND ORGAN DONATION DESIGNATION FORMS WILL BE REPLACED BY THE WYOMING ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVEFORM.
IF YOU EXECUTED THESE DOCUMENTS BEFORE JULY 1, 2005, THEY ARE STILL VALID.BUT, TO AVOID COMPLICATIONS IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU CONSIDER REPLACING THEM WITH THE WYOMING ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVEFORM.
REMEMBER: IF YOU CHOOSE TO REPLACE A LIVING WILL, DPOA OR ORGAN DONATION DESIGNATION DOCUMENT WITH THE WYOMING ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE, PLEASE DESTROY THE OUT DATED MATERIAL TO AVOID CONFUSION.
What To Do When Your Sick or Facing Death
Introduction
Nobody likes to think about illness or death. But, these are facts of life.
If and when it happens, you may want what's called an "Advanced Medical Directive" or an "AMD."
An AMD allows you to make your own choices about health care. An AMD will allow your choice to be carried out even when you are no longer able to speak for your self.
This website explains AMD's. You can find out about
(1) letting doctors and hospitals know about medical care you may need in the future;
(2) appointing someone to make health care decisions for you if you cannot do so;
(3) how to tell medical people not to restart your heart or your breath if they stop;
(4) your right to know under the Patient Self-Determination Act;
(5) what forms you might need;
(6) what to do if you don't have the right forms;
(7) where you go if you have questions.
Special note to health care and other services providers: Please feel free to duplicate and distribute these materials as you or your clients may need. Your clients may ask you to help them change advance medical directive forms. Unless you are a licensed Wyoming attorney, you should not. If a client does not find a form (any form) to his or her liking, he or she should have a document drawn up by an lawyer.
Special note to legal practitioners: Please feel free to duplicate and distribute these materials as you or your clients may need.
Last Reviewed On: 05/05/04
Using Wyoming LawHelp (Please Read)
Information, Not Legal Advice.
Everybody's problems are unique. This website cannot tell you how your case will be decided.
This website can be used to help you learn the law. It can help you understand your rights. It can assist you in getting the help you need.
If you need more help than this website can give on your specific problem, you should contact a lawyer. If you are low-income and wish to apply for an attorney through Legal Aid of Wyoming, please click here.
Whether you are low-income or not, if you have questions about your case or are uncertain in any way, it is a good idea to talk to a lawyer before taking legal action.
Hiring a Lawyer.
Hiring a lawyer is a big decision.
Before hiring a lawyer, you should ask a lot of questions.
Hire a lawyer you feel you can trust.
This website gives information on what to look for in a lawyer. This web site is not advertising for any particular lawyer.
E-mail.
Using this website or sending an e-mail to Wyoming LawHelp does not mean that Wyoming LawHelp is your lawyer.
Deadlines
If you are handling your own case or do not yet have a lawyer, it is very important that you not miss deadlines! You may lose your legal rights if you do not take action right away.
This means getting a lawyer right away if that is what you want.
Getting It Right
Wyoming LawHelp is offered as public service. We try to make the information correct as of the date of the materials.
Sometimes the laws change. We cannot promise that this information is always up-to-date and correct, but we are doing our best to give you the best information we can.
Links
Sometimes we link to legal information given by other websites.
We cannot say with absolute certainty that these other links have gotten in right.
We do not sponsor these other links or use any trade name, trademark, logo, legal or official seal used at these links.
The WyomingLawHelp.org is a project of Legal Aid of Wyoming, Wyoming Access to Justice Commission, the Wyoming Center for Legal Aid, Wyoming State Bar, Wyoming State Bar Foundation and the University of Wyoming College of Law.
