An estate plan can provide guidance for people during difficult times when grief could understandably affect their decision-making capabilities. A will can let families know how to distribute the property of a deceased individual. Advance directives can help ensure that people make the right choices about the medical care that their loved ones receive in an emergency scenario.
Family members may find it difficult to recall the wishes that someone may have previously expressed about different types of medical treatment. In a heartbreaking scenario where an individual’s death is imminent, families sometimes have to make decisions about anatomical gifts.
People may feel distraught at the need to suddenly make a decision and may spend years questioning whether they made the right choice. Testators who have strong preferences regarding anatomical gifts may want to integrate their wishes into their advance directives to limit the stress and uncertainty that their loved ones experience in the event of a tragic situation.
There are multiple types of anatomical gifts
To many people, the term “anatomical gift” is synonymous with organ and tissue donation. Medical professionals can harvest living tissue from individuals who cannot recover from their medical challenges. The tissue and organs obtained can save other people’s lives or drastically improve their overall quality of life.
Virginia also has a whole-body donation program that benefits scientific research. People with unusual medical conditions might want to consider donating their bodies for scientific and medical research that could ultimately have a major positive impact on others.
Family members might struggle to agree with one another about donating tissue or the entire body of a loved one who recently passed. Advance planning makes it easier for people to achieve their goals and have a positive impact on others, including strangers, even after their death.
People can preregister for the donation of their bodies in advance. Their loved ones can also make arrangements for donations immediately after their passing. People can also register in advance as organ donors if they so choose.
Expanding an estate plan to include advanced directives and discussing the possibility of anatomical donations with loved ones and a skilled legal team can help people take pressure off of their loved ones and ensure that their final legacy is a positive one.