Overview of Advance Directives
Advance directives are legal documents that allow you to state your personal healthcare decisions about end-of-life care in advance. This may not be a topic many of us think about or talk about, but it is definitely important for people of all ages to know about. While you cannot predict the future, you do have the power to make your healthcare choices heard and help your loved ones understand your values and preferences regarding your medical care.
An advance directive allows you to clearly communicate your personal healthcare wishes for times when you are unable to speak for yourself. As a legal document, it should be placed on file with your healthcare provider. Your advance directive provides information that will help your healthcare provider and loved ones know how to make decisions for you that match what matters most to you. This information can include:
- Person(s) you want to make your healthcare decisions for you
- Medical treatment you want or do not want
- How comfortable you want to be kept
- Instructions on life-sustaining treatments
- Organ donation wishes
Starting an Advance Directive
While it may be hard to know when the “right time” to write an advance directive is, there is never a wrong time to start planning. This can be a conversation with your loved ones and healthcare provider or a personal thought process.
To get started, you may begin by learning more about “end-of-life” choices. It is helpful to inform yourself about the issues and the options prior to a discussion with your healthcare provider. Resources on hospice, long-term care options, and documentation needs unique to your state are available to help you, as well as those you care about and those who care about you, with advance care planning.
“I have an advance directive, not because I have a serious illness, but because I have a family” –Ira Byock, MD
Resources
Arizona Secretary of State website