Though it may be difficult for some of us to plan for the unknown, it can be one of the best ways to protect yourself and your loved ones moving forward. An advanced healthcare directive is a document you put together stipulating your healthcare wishes or wants should you become incapacitated. This form also allows you to appoint someone to decide on your behalf.
Everyone who is over the age of 18 can benefit from having an advanced healthcare directive in place. It allows you to remain in control of your healthcare even when you can no longer speak for yourself. It also gives your loved ones clarity when they are in a challenging time.
Without an enforceable healthcare directive, there will be far more questions than answers if you become incapacitated. Once the medical team deems you as incapacitated, a relative or loved one will need to make the decisions moving forward, such as which route of treatment to pursue, what lifesaving measures will be used, and when it’s time to stop life-saving methods, such as intubation or feeding tubes.
In some cases, the state may deem one of your loved ones the person in charge of your decisions via a court order. If the chosen person doesn’t understand your wishes, it could mean unnecessary stress for the loved ones or measures taken for your health that you didn’t want to occur. The process can also take time and cost money, interrupting the treatment options that you may have.
From a medical staff perspective, having an advanced healthcare directive in place can also help them avoid being in the middle of family disputes regarding which route to take to care for you, allowing them to focus on urgent matters.
One standard change we see clients make to their advanced healthcare directive is the appointed agent. When you create the form, you select an agent to make medical decisions on your behalf. This person should be someone you trust and are well-versed in your wishes for healthcare options.
If you have created an advanced healthcare directive at a younger age, you may wish to update the agent appointed due to life changes, due to them passing away, or other reasons. Suppose the person you selected no longer lives in your area. Their duties require collecting multiple pieces of information that can change quickly and making urgent decisions, which may be challenging to do from a distance. Choosing someone closer to where you reside may be necessary to become the appointed agent for your healthcare directive.
As we age, we may look at life differently. An agent can have the right to how your body is taken care of after your death; they can initiate an autopsy, make choices regarding feeding tubes, and more. You may have chosen not to stipulate this when you created the directive, but now you may want to add these duties for the agent and, therefore, would need to change the form.
You can make changes to your advanced health care directive in one of two ways: either by making small changes to the document and initialing them or revoking the directive.
You can revoke the directive orally, but it’s best practice to have a written statement to confirm that you wish to revoke the original advanced healthcare directive. You will also want to create a new one so an enforceable and active one is in place when needed.
It’s essential to review and update your directive often. Life and views change in our medical care as we age or see our loved ones in severe medical conditions. People change as well, and maybe the person you choose as your agent is no longer the person you wish to have that much power over medical decisions.
You can make minor updates and initial them on the original form. Each time you review the document, you should initial it, helping to solidify that your wishes are still valid. It is important to note that when you make changes, you should make updated copies and ensure that all relevant parties can access the revised document. Loved ones, hospitals, clergy, and more may have old copies and need a new one.
Small changes, such as choosing which medical procedures you wish to be options, can likely be made through writing on the form and writing your initials next to the changes.
If you are making significant or multiple changes, revoking the initial directive and creating a new one may benefit you, reducing the options for misinformation or questions.
As with other changes, ensure that you are giving the revised or new advanced healthcare directive to all those who will need it should you become incapacitated, and review your changes with loved ones so there is clarity.
It’s never easy to think about losing control and being unable to care for ourselves. Creating an advanced care directive is one of how you can remain in control, protect your wishes when you are most vulnerable, and protect your loved ones from disputes or confusion regarding how you want to be cared for if you become incapacitated.
Our team provides compassionate and strong advocacy for you and your loved ones. We pride ourselves on always going the extra mile for our clients, and they feel that. Call our office today at (314) 347-3567 to learn more.
