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If you find yourself unconscious and dependent on life support, how long would you want your family to hold on, waiting to see if you recover? To ensure your preferences are followed, consider setting up an advance medical directive.
To locate the necessary forms, search for 'advance medical directive' along with your state's name. While a specific form may not always be required, each state has specific rules about what makes a directive legally binding, such as witness requirements. Your hospital may also assist you in completing the proper forms.
An advance medical directive allows you to designate someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you're unable to. This often includes specific instructions for that person, such as: at what point do you consider your life no longer worth living? Some forms you may need to fill out—often as separate documents—include:
A living will to outline your preferences for care at the end of life.
Durable power of attorney, appointing someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
A do-not-resuscitate order, if you wish to forgo resuscitation efforts. This usually needs to be documented on your medical chart and/or signed by your doctor. A new order may be required every time you're admitted to the hospital.
While you can complete these forms in advance, they are not always legally binding. For instance, in many states, doctors may disregard your wishes if you're pregnant. Even if everything aligns as planned, ultimately your doctors and family hold the final decision, which is why open discussions with them are crucial to ensure they understand your desires. This toolkit from the American Bar Association provides helpful questions and advice for starting these conversations. The National Library of Medicine also offers additional guidance on setting up advance directives.
