Casey Kasem and the Healthcare Directive

Legendary radio personality Casey Kasem died on June 15th of 2014. In his last few months, Kasem had been suffering from Lewy body disease, the most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s. Simultaneously, he was the subject of a bitter court battle involving three of his children from a previous marriage and his current wife, Jean. His oldest children were challenging their stepmother for control of Kasem’s medical decisions, serving as a tragic reminder of how important it is to have a medical directive.
In 2007, after Kasem was diagnosed with Lewy Body disease, he executed a healthcare directive and appointed Kerri, his daughter from a prior marriage, instead of his wife, Jean, to make his medical and end-of-life decisions. The document stated that Casey did not want to be kept alive if it “would result in a mere biological existence, devoid of cognitive function, with no reasonable hope for normal functioning.” Casey’s document nominated Kerri, not Jean, to make the important decision of when it was time to honor this wish and effectively end Casey’s life.
Kasem’s daughter Kerri was able to win legal authority to end Casey’s suffering and have him taken off life support because of the executed healthcare directive. Sometimes called a living will or medical power of attorney, a healthcare directive allows a trusted loved one to make medical decisions, such as ending life support, when you are no longer able to.
It is tragic that Kasem’s last days consisted of a family legal battle. To avoid this happening in your own family, make sure you and every other adult over the age of 18 executes a health care directive. In the event you suffer a debilitating injury or disease, you can chose the person you most trust to carry out your medical decisions. Thankfully Kasem did exactly that, bringing his suffering to an end.
The Astill Law Office has provided high quality legal services for over 30 years. We specialize in wills, trusts, estate planning, and asset protection. If you have any questions about executing a healthcare directive or estate planning in general, contact The Astill Law Office at 801-438-8698.