Scientific and medical advances have presented society with numerous bioethical issues. These advances have provided physicians with enhanced control over the time and nature of death. In Massachusetts, the legal document that addresses the challenges posed in making end-of-life decisions when you are unable to make the decision personally is called a health care proxy. It designates someone to serve as your agent in making health care decisions if you're incapable of making them for yourself and ensures that your wishes are respected. There are nuances specific to different life stages and sexes, and Bacon Wilson attorneys can help you to draft the document that addresses your unique situation.

Many people shudder to think of the impact of financing long term care with the financial resources that they spend a lifetime building. Long-term care, more commonly known as nursing home care, is very expensive, with an average cost of $8,000 per month or more. There are various means of financing long-term care; however, most Americans believe that the federal government or Medicare will pay for their long-term care costs. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Our legal team can help you plan for the future and protect your assets.

When medical treatment mistakes are made that cause serious harm to you or a family member, we can help you obtain restitution for your pain and suffering.

Many individuals wish to be organ donors. While you can add this intent to your driver's license, it is also a good idea to include this information in your estate planning documents, such as your health care proxy.

Also, many people desire special burial arrangements, such as cremation and scattering rites. It is also common for people to have opinions about which spouse they want to be buried with in cases in which they have had more than one spouse.

These preferences should be clearly set forth with the help of an attorney in estate planning documents to prevent post-death problems and litigation.

When an aging parent needs assistance to continue to live at home, many children opt to provide the needed care personally. The caretaker child arrangement begins when either the parent begins residing with the child in the child's home, or the child begins residing or continues to reside with the parent in the parent's home and child provides the care similar to that of a board and care facility.

When a child provides care for a parent, it is best to establish a care agreement. This is a contract between the parent and the child, and possibly the child's spouse, in which the parent agrees to pay the child a monetary sum (in either a lump sum or on an ongoing basis) or to finance an improvement to the child's home. In return,the child agrees to care for the parent until either the parent passes away or is no longer able to perform the activities of daily living, which include:

• Bathing
• Eating
• Dressing
• Transferring
• Toileting

When establishing a care agreement, there are numerous considerations and potential pitfalls to be addressed. At Bacon Wilson, our experienced legal team can help.