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Advance Medical Directives |
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Why Have an Advance Medical Directive?
"My husband didn't make an advance directive. Now he can't tell us what health care he wants. . . We don't know what to do."
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What would happen if you could no longer make decisions about your medical care because of a serious illness or injury? How would your family and doctors know your wishes? You can plan ahead by writing an advance medical directive, also called an advance directive. This statement outlines the medical treatment you'd want or names the
person you'd want to make health care decisions for you if you could no longer express your wishes.
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Deciding What You Want
Having an advance directive is important for everyone, young or old, since accidents and illness can strike at any age. But, before making an advance directive, you need to think about what's important to you in life. How would maintaining or losing the ability to do the things you value affect your choice of treatment? You also need to understand the range of medical treatments available. Then you can decide the level of care you'd want, depending upon the medical condition and the likely outcome of treatment.
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