What Is An Advance Directive Regarding A Dying Individual

The best way to describe what an advance directive is would be to describe a scene in which the following occurs:

An individual is terminally ill an in the last phases of the process of dying. She is in a coma and cannot communicate with her doctors concerning her desire not to be connected to life support machines. If she had an advance directive, it would speak for her and express what her wishes are regarding the machines. Without an advance directive her wishes are unknown and others will decide for her whether or not she is hooked up to life support machines.

There are many issues that are covered by advance directives including:

Using breathing machines or dialysis equipment

To be resuscitated or not if breathing or heartbeat ceases

The use of a feeding tube or not

Organ or tissue donation (yes or no)

A durable power of attorney for health care goes hand in hand with the advance directive as it is this person who is charged with the trust of carrying out the wishes contained in the advance directive.

The process of advance directive involves an ongoing dialogue between the individual and the doctor as well as the proxy decision maker, the one who has DPA (durable power of attorney) for health care. The discussion is the vehicle in which these individuals are made aware of your attitudes, beliefs and attitudes regarding health care, your present or future illness and death. The advance directive documents these factors so that they can be made known to all necessary medical and legal parties in the event that you are unable to communicate with them during the last phase of your life.

It is both healthy and a good idea to discuss death arrangement regarding health care before health issues arise but certainly if the occasion presents itself it is imperative to protect your right to chose how you die.

Having an advance directive protects loved ones from having to guess about your intentions and desires concerning the dying phase. The doctor and other medical staff will also have the ability to take your desires into consideration when making important healthcare decisions regarding your death process.

After the discussion with your doctor and proxy it is important to take time to think about the decisions you need to make and even to discuss them with family or friends; especially those most affected by your decisions.

Most advance directives are advisory documents. Advisory documents are documents that represent your views and wishes to the extent that they accurately describe to others so that they will know what you desire for them to do in case you can not communicate with them. The notes your doctor makes in your medical chart regarding your wishes during the death process as discussed in the meeting can also be included in this document. Both the doctor's notes and your advance directive are binding by law.

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