Take Charge of Final Health Decisions
You hope you will never be involved in a catastrophic accident or become gravely ill. But it happens. That’s why you need to have a legal health care document that states your wishes as to treatment and lifesaving measures.
Each state has its own requirements for the type of document needed. Some require a health care proxy, others a living will, and a few want a combination of the two called an advance care directive. Talk to your doctor and your attorney to learn what’s required for the state you live in.
Choose someone to care for you. If you can no longer make our own medical decisions, someone with your best interests at heart should make them for you. That’s why you need a health care proxy. Sometimes called a durable or medical power of attorney, it allows you to appoint a health care agent to oversee your well-being if you are incapacitated.
In addition, if you’re terminally ill and can’t speak for yourself, it gives him the power to withhold lifesaving measures and allow you to die. So make sure you discuss this important topic beforehand.
State your last wishes. The best way to ensure your final wishes are followed is to draw up a living will. It states whether you’ll accept or refuse life-sustaining treatments if you’re severely incapacitated, face imminent death, or are in a vegetative state. Some things it covers are:
Cardiac resuscitation
Artificial breathing
Feeding tubes
Major surgery
Blood transfusions
Antibiotics to treat life-threatening infections
Pain medication even if it shortens your life
You need to decide which emergency measures you wish to include in your living will, and under what circumstances. For example, you may want the hospital to use all possible means to revive you as long as there is hope of survival. Or you may want them to try a given treatment for a specified period of time, then withdraw it if you show no improvement. Talk to your doctor about your options so you understand what each involves.
Be clear about resuscitation. Another health directive worth considering is a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. It tells the hospital staff or paramedics not to use heroic methods like cardiac resuscitation to keep you alive. This directive makes your final wishes crystal clear.
It’s never too early to talk to your family, close friends, doctor, and even your spiritual advisor about these important decisions. They can help you sort through your feelings and values to come up with a plan that’s right for you.
© FCA Publishing
