myFOXdetroit.com - As you go through life, you make a lot of choices for yourself. You may pick your high school or college. You may decide what career path you will take and what jobs to accept. You may choose to marry or commit to a lifelong partner. You may have kids.
All of these are important choices that you make for yourself after careful thought, planning and discussion with others. So why is it so hard to make choices for yourself when it comes to the end of your life?
IT’S HARD TO TALK ABOUT
Discussing your end of life wishes can be very difficult. Often, you haven’t really thought about it yourself. It can also be hard because it means talking about things you don’t want to face- the possibility of getting sick or hurt, being disabled, and even dying. So, why do it? Because it is your right to choose what you want for your life, right up until the end of it!
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES
Preparing an Advance Directive is one way to make sure your wishes are known and carried out for you if you become unable to speak for yourself. An Advance Directive for health care, as it says in the name, is instructions that you spell out for your medical care before they are needed. This could include such things as medical treatments, resuscitation and hospice care.
There are two types of Advance Directives.
One is a living will, which is a declaration of wishes regarding your care. More than 30-states legally recognize living wills. THE REST DO NOT. Another issue with living wills is that family can override the person’s wishes if they want to, and possibly make a decision for you that you would not have wanted.
The second Advance Directive is called a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPOA). This document IS legally recognized in EVERY STATE. The main purpose of a DPOA is for you to choose a person to act on your behalf if and when you cannot make your own decisions.
There are 3 steps to completing an Advance Directive:
1) Select an Advocate.
2) Decide on Directives.
3) Complete the form and get signatures.
WHO TO CHOOSE AS YOUR ADVOCATE
You can choose anyone who is over 18 years old and of “sound mind.” They must agree to be your Advocate in writing on the form. It’s a good idea to choose someone who knows you well and will abide by your wishes; someone who will not be swayed by their own or others’ wishes for your care. Many times this is NOT a family member! It is also a good idea to select a back-up advocate. There is room on the form to choose up to three people. If the first Patient Advocate cannot or will not make a decision, it defaults to the next person in line.
DECIDING ON DIRECTIVES
Your DPOA will have specific authority to make health care decisions for you if you are unable, including decisions on treatment, placement, follow up treatments and payment. What you have to decide is, what do YOU want? This may take some time. Think through possible scenarios and consider your values and beliefs. On the form, you will write directions for specific care you DO want, as well as what you DON’T want. Examples of things to decide include whether you would want a breathing tube down your throat and a machine to help you breathe, or a feeding tube inserted if you cannot swallow, or if you want to be an organ donor. There are many things to think about. Talk with your Advocate about your decisions and why you chose them, and be as specific as possible.
GETTING SIGNATURES
First and foremost, YOU must sign the form to make it legal! Your first Patient Advocate must sign the form. Then, you will need two witnesses to sign the document. The witnesses must be “neutral” parties. They cannot be your Patient Advocates, healthcare personnel, family members, or someone who would ‘benefit’ from your death, for example, a person named in your will. Other friends, neighbors, church members, etc. would be good choices.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As you go through life, when you are of sound mind and body and can make your own decisions, you of course will do so. An Advance Directive, or Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, does not go into effect until you are unable to make your own decisions. If that happens, then your Patient Advocate is empowered to become your voice. He or she then works with your medical team to make sure you are taken care of in the ways that you chose for yourself. Your Patient Advocate does not get paid to speak on your behalf, and is also not responsible to pay your medical bills.
You always have the right to revoke a Patient Advocate if you become able to make your own decisions again, or if you want to change Advocates. Review your Advance Directive from time to time to make sure it is still everything that you want; your values and beliefs may change as you go through your life!
Photocopies of your Advance Directive are allowed and are legally recognized as the original form. An Advance Directive ends upon your death, and then what you wrote in your last
