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Health care planning: The advance directive
"I've always been in control of my life. I know I don't want to be kept alive by machines, but at that point, it's likely I won't be able to speak for myself. I want to be sure they do things the way I want them done. Filling out an advance directive is a good way to make sure that happens."Planning for health care decisions
To ensure that you receive the end-of-life treatment you desire, it is crucial that each of us plan ahead for our future health care needs. It is never too early to plan. A car accident, for example, could injure a twenty-year-old in ways that make it impossible for him or her to participate in decisions about care. Without written instructions (i.e., an advance directive), family members are left to guess and often agonize about whether they are doing what their loved one would have wanted.
Whether you are a patient or a caregiver, it is a good idea to have an advance directive. Sometimes it is easier to bring up the subject with the patient if you yourself have written out your instructions, or suggest it as a project you both do together.
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What is an advance directive?
Advance directives are legal documents that specify your health care wishes if you are unable to speak for yourself. Each state has its own approved form. You can find the form for our state at the Caring Connections website, a service of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. Most forms describe several options for end-of-life care and can be used to provide any additional instructions a person may feel is relevant to their end-of-life situation. You may change your advance directive whenever you choose.
Advance directives usually include two major sections: the appointment of a health care representative and your instructions to your physician. The health care representative is the person you choose to make your health care decisions for situations in which you cannot speak for yourself. The directive to physicians states which life-sustaining measures you wish to be used, withheld, or withdrawn. These are the instructions the doctor is directed to follow if your body is unable to sustain itself without help.
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State-specific Advance Directives
Caring Connections, the consumer website of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, offers free downloads of the approved advance directives of all 50 states.
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