An advance
healthcare directive is a written set of instructions which outline
a person's preferences for end of life care in the event that they
are no longer able to communicate instructions.
In
a traditional Living Will, you state your wishes about life-sustaining
medical treatments if you are terminally ill.
In
a Health Care Power of Attorney, you appoint someone else to make
medical treatment decisions for you if you cannot make them for
yourself.
The
Advance Healthcare Directive combines and expands the traditional
Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney into a single, comprehensive
document. You can give someone you name (your "agent"
or "proxy") the power to make health care decisions
for you and provide instructions about the kind of healthcare
you prefer to receive.
All
fifty states and the District of Columbia have laws outlining
a patient's right to have an Advance Healthcare Directive.
Since
1991, federal law mandates that all federally funded healthcare
institutions educate staff and community members about Advance
Healthcare Directives and make information about Advance Healthcare
Directives available to all patients.
Unlike most
Living Wills, an Advance Healthcare Directive is not limited to
cases of terminal illness.
If
you cannot make or communicate decisions because of a temporary
or permanent illness or injury, an Advance Healthcare Directive
helps you keep control over health care decisions that are important
to you.
In
your Advance Healthcare Directive, you state your wishes about
any aspect of your health care, including decisions about life-sustaining
treatment, and choose a person to make and communicate these decisions
for you.
Appointing
an agent is particularly important. At the time a decision needs
to be made, your agent can participate in discussions and weigh
the pros and cons of treatment decisions based on your wishes.
Your
agent can decide for you wherever you cannot decide for yourself,
even if your decision-making ability is only temporarily affected.
An
advance directive also can relieve family stress. By expressing
your wishes in advance, you help family or friends who might otherwise
struggle to decide on their own what you would want done.
Yes. Every
state and the District of Columbia has laws that permit individuals
to sign documents stating their wishes about health care decisions
when they cannot speak for themselves.
The
specifics of these laws vary, but the basic principle of listening
to the patient's wishes is the same everywhere.
The
law gives great weight to any form of written directive.
If
the courts become involved, they usually try to follow the patient's
stated values and preferences, especially if they are in written
form.
An
Advance Healthcare Directive may be the most convincing evidence
of your wishes you can create.
