Advanced Health Care Directives: How to Get Started

In a stressful medical situation are you and your loved ones protected? Last month we discussed advanced health care directives, what they are, and why everyone should have one. If you’re not familiar with these important medical documents, we recommend checking out last month’s post to familiarize yourself with them and their role in medical care.

Now that you’re familiar with the purpose of an advanced health care directive, you may be wondering how to get started creating one for yourself or a loved one. This can be an uncomfortable topic for many, as it forces us to face our own mortality and make difficult decisions about our future. However, this topic doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom and can be a lifesaver later on.

Beginning the Conversation about Advanced Health Care Directives

Getting started with an advanced directive can be a daunting task. Here are a few recommended conversation starters that you can use to break the ice with a parent or loved one:

• “Have you thought about who you’d like to make decisions for you in the future?” - This question is great because it’s very conversational and doesn’t use any fancy medical terms that could make your loved one uncomfortable.
  
  
• “I read an interesting article today about advanced health care directives - can we make ours together?” - By suggesting that you make your health care directives together you’re offering a helping hand in this process and also making it clear that an advanced health care directive is not something to be afraid of.
  
  
• “Can I talk to you about my advanced care directive?” - This is a great conversation starter because it takes the pressure off your parent entirely. Plus, it is never too early for you to create your own advanced directive!
  
  

Important Topics to Include in Your Advanced Health Care Directive

If there is something important that you’d like to make sure happens (or doesn’t happen) throughout your care, you should include it in your directive. Here are a few ideas of topics that could be included:

• Treatment Preferences for Common Medical Scenarios - Your preferences are important, and you should feel free to include your opinions on anything ranging from antibiotic use to whether or not you’d be willing to receive an organ from a donor. Would you be willing to be intubated? What are your feelings on the use of a ventilator? Do you have a time limit for these types of care if a medical professional determines you will never recover?
  
  
• Final Wishes for End-of-Life Care - At the end of your life, what steps would you like to have taken? This may include having spiritual guidance befitting your religious beliefs and your wishes for your remains. You should also include whether or not you’re willing to be an organ donor should your situation allow.
  
  
• Designate a Medical Proxy for All Other Decisions - Of course, no document no matter how detailed will ever encompass every potential situation. That’s why you should designate who you would like to be your decision-maker for anything not explicitly outlined. This person should be trustworthy, assertive, and objective as they may need to make difficult decisions under extreme pressure.
  
  

Making Your Advanced Health Care Directive Official

While putting all of your wishes in writing is a great start, there are some important steps that you will need to take to make the document official (meaning legally binding). The process for making an advanced directive legally binding is different in every state and is subject to change. Be sure to check your local regulations for the most up-to-date guidance.

Some may find this additional step unnecessary, as their goal was simply to put in writing their wishes for loved ones to follow. However, if your document is not legally enforceable it is ultimately up to someone else if they follow what you’ve outlined. If you want to make sure that your directive is enforced you will need to consult with a lawyer in your state for the most up-to-date requirements.

We hope that this article has given you some helpful insights about how to approach advanced health care directives. By taking the time to outline your wishes you are giving your loved ones the gift of peace of mind when it comes to important decisions surrounding your medical care.