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WHAT IS AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE? EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

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WHAT IS AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE? EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

  • You usually have complete control over what kind of treatment and medical attention you need.
  • The doctors can recommend a treatment or a procedure, but they cannot perform it without your consent.
  • However, that is not true if you are incapacitated or unable to confer with the medical professionals attending to you.
  • In such cases, a spouse, close family member, or a friend are who the doctors have to refer to.
  • Although this works most of the time, what your close ones and the doctors decide could go against your wishes.
  • If you wish to avoid that and be treated exactly as you want to, an advance directive is what you.
  • Let’s look at how this medical document can help you:

What is an Advance Directive?

  • An advance directive is a document that details the medical decisions you want to be made in case you cannot make them directly.
  • The legal standing of the document means that it has to be followed in case a patient is not able to make decisions regarding their treatment.
  • It helps your doctors, and your loved ones know how you want to be treated and how they can satisfy your wishes, helping them make decisions quickly for your sake.
  • In certain cases, it can also help them make clear decisions and dispel any confusion on what route to take for your treatment.
  • An advance directive allows you to plan ahead of time and be ready for anything that could happen unexpectedly.
  • It also gives your loved ones the confidence they need to make the decisions you would appreciate.

Why Are Advance Directives Law?

Advance directives are legal because of the 1990 Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA).  The act gives patients the right to decide what kind of medical treatment they desire or reject in case of any illness.  The act requires home health agencies, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs), and hospices to:

  1. Find an advance directive if it exists
  2. Provide patients with information regarding state laws and how they affect the patient’s right to determine their medical treatment.
  3. Accept the advance directive and honor a patient’s wishes.
  4. Not discriminate against a patient depending on whether they have an advance directive or not.

How to Make Use of an Advance Directive?

  • An advance directive has no bearing on financial matters. It is exclusive to health care decisions.
  • Furthermore, the laws governing and concerning advance directives do differ between states.
  • You have to consult a lawyer and learn about those laws before filling out an advance directive.
  • Make sure to do it while you are healthy. There should be no questions on the patient’s choice.