Thinking about a time when you may not be able to make your own medical decisions is uncomfortable for many people. Yet, it’s a reality that can happen due to illness, injury or the natural aging process. Without a clear plan in place, your loved ones may be left scrambling to make medical decisions on your behalf. An advanced health care directive ensures that your medical preferences are known and respected, while also empowering someone you trust to act on your behalf.
What Is an Advanced Health Care Directive?
An advanced health care directive is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone (known as your health care agent) to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so yourself. This could occur due to incapacity from an accident, illness or other medical conditions. It also enables you to specify your preferences regarding critical medical issues such as life-sustaining treatment, organ donation and pain management. The document ensures that both your voice and your values are carried out, even when you cannot speak for yourself.
Key Components of an Advanced Health Care Directive
An advanced health care directive typically covers several important aspects of your medical care:
- HIPAA Authorization: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) restricts who can access your medical information. An advanced health care directive grants your agent access to your medical records and enables them to communicate with your doctors and health care providers.
- Life-Sustaining Treatment and End-of-Life Care: One of the most challenging decisions people face is how they want to handle life-prolonging measures if they are critically ill or in a coma. In your directive, you can state whether you want aggressive medical interventions. Alternatively, you can specify if you would prefer to limit or forgo certain interventions in favor of comfort-focused, palliative care.
- Organ Donation and Autopsy: You can use your advanced health care directive to state your preferences about organ donation and whether you want an autopsy performed after your death.
- Customizable Medical Wishes: An advanced health care directive is a highly customizable document. This means you can include any additional medical preferences you have, such as specifying treatments you do not want to receive under any circumstances, preferences regarding pain management, or religious and cultural considerations you want to be observed during your medical care.
- Resuscitation Preferences: You may also include instructions about whether you want CPR or DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) orders in your directive.
Choosing Your Health Care Agent
This person will have significant responsibility over your medical care, so it’s crucial to choose someone who:
- Understands your values: This person should know your beliefs, preferences and values regarding medical treatments, including end-of-life care.
- Is comfortable making decisions under pressure: Medical emergencies can be stressful. Your agent should be able to stay calm and make clear-headed decisions in difficult situations.
- Will advocate for your wishes: Your health care agent needs to be assertive enough to advocate for your preferences, even if they face resistance from family members or medical professionals.
- Communicates well with medical providers: It’s important that your agent can effectively communicate with doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to ensure they understand your wishes.
Conclusion: Planning for Your Health Care With Confidence
While no one likes to think about the possibility of being unable to make their own medical decisions, an advanced health care directive offers you peace of mind, knowing that your medical wishes will be followed and that someone you trust will be there to advocate for you.
For more information or assistance in creating your advanced health care directive, contact Deka Law Group at info@dekalaw.com or call 626.765.6272.
