OREANDA-NEWS. September 29, 2015. Navigating the legal documents surrounding advanced illness care can be cumbersome, stressful and frustrating. Starting the conversation earlier may help ease those issues, as families, friends and doctors prepare themselves. National trends from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that many people say they’d like to be prepared, but haven’t yet explained their final wishes. Among them:
  • 60 percent of people say that making sure their family is not burdened by tough decisions is “extremely important.”
  • 56 percent of people say they have not yet communicated their end-of-life wishes.

Navigating the legal documents

Advance directives allow you to define your decisions surrounding your end-of-life care. The directives also provide you with a way to tell your loved ones, friends and doctors what you want.

You can work with an attorney to officially document your wishes for the end of their lives. A legal professional can guide you through the decisions and documents that make up an advance care plan in the event you have some life-threatening injury or illness.

Advance directives allow you to define your decisions surrounding your end-of-life care. The directives also provide you with a way to tell your loved ones, friends and doctors what you want, while avoiding any confusion that may arise.

One type of advance directive is a “durable power of attorney,” which names someone else to make health care decisions when you cannot. This will explain the types of treatments that someone wants and doesn’t want, but allows the chosen decision-maker to legally make those decisions.

Depending on where you live in the U.S., that “durable power of attorney” may be called a number of different things, including “health care proxy,” “health care surrogate” or “attorney-in-fact,” or something similar.

Another directive is called a “living will,” which is written health care instructions to your durable power of attorney and health care providers, to ensure your wishes are met. A living will helps you describe what treatments you’d like if you are permanently unconscious or dying. You can accept or refuse medical care with this document.

Since advance directives never expire, there are many decisions to consider and update as circumstances change.

What you need to know

Since advance directives never expire, there are many decisions to consider and update as circumstances change, including:

  • Emergency medical technicians cannot honor advance directives/living wills or medical power of attorney. Once emergency medical services has been called they must administer care. Only a doctor, after medical review, can act on an advance directive. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has each state’s advance directives ready for download for further information on what your state allows by law.
  • To ensure your wishes are followed, provide copies of your advance directive to your doctor and your family, and have it readily available.
  • Inform all necessary parties if you make any changes to your decisions.

Advance directives are accepted throughout the United States. However, they may not be recognized from one state to another. It’s important to figure out what your state offers, in order to meet the requirements.

Remember, if you are concerned or have questions about your advance directive, you should seek further guidance from your doctor or lawyer.