You can make your medical preferences known for a time when you cannot express them yourself and possibly at the end of your life in an advance health care directive. Sometimes, these are referred to as living wills.
In your advance directive, you can address various medical situations or treatments. These may include:
- Life-sustaining treatments like mechanical ventilation, tube feeding and dialysis
- Pain management and comfort (palliative) care
- Resuscitation orders
- Organ donation
In addition to specifying your treatment preferences, you can also appoint a health care agent and give them power of attorney (POA) to make medical decisions for you. The person you appoint will have the authority to communicate with your medical team, advocate for the wishes you’ve designated and make real-time decisions that you may not have been able to anticipate.
It’s important to choose someone you trust, who has your best interests at heart and understands your values and wishes. You also want someone who can remain calm and not be intimidated by other family members or others.
Control and peace of mind
One of the key benefits of an advance directive is that it puts you in control of your health care, even when you are unable to communicate. This can alleviate the burden on your loved ones, who do not have to make difficult medical decisions without knowing your preferences. It can also prevent disputes or disagreements among family members.
Knowing that you have laid out your medical wishes in a legally binding document can give you and your loved ones peace of mind. You can rest assured that your instructions will be adhered to.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to make your health care wishes known. People of any age can be catastrophically injured or become seriously ill. Reaching out for legal guidance can help you do everything right and help ensure that you have a comprehensive and legally valid advance health care directive.
