What Is An Advance Directive For Health Care?
An Advance Directive for Health Care is a single document authorized by Pennsylvania law that permits you to select a health care representative and state your preferences regarding medical treatment in the event you are unable to make such decisions. An Advance Directive consists of two parts: (1) an Instruction Directive (commonly known as a “Living Will”) that expresses medical treatments you wish to accept or refuse and the circumstances under which your wishes will be implemented; and (2) appointment of a Health Care Proxy (equivalent to power of attorney for health care).
An Advance Directive for Health Care gives the person you designate (your agent) broad powers to make health care decisions for you, including power to require, consent to, or withdraw any type of personal care or medical treatment for any physical or mental condition and to admit you to or discharge you from any hospital, home, or other institution, but not including psychosurgery, sterilization, or involuntary hospitalization or certain other treatment. The Directive can also instruct health care providers to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining procedures in the event of a terminal condition or irreversible coma. The power of attorney does not impose a duty on your agent to exercise granted powers; but, when a power is exercised, your agent will have to use due care to act for your benefit and in accordance with this form. A court can take away the powers of your agent if it finds the agent is not acting properly.
An advance directive is generally a written statement, which you complete in advance of serious illness, about how you want medical decisions made. The two most common forms of advance directive are a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care, although in many states you may combine these into a single advance-directive document. An advance directive allows you to state your choices for health care or to name someone to make those choices for you, if you become unable to make decisions about your medical treatment. In short, an advance directive enables you to have some control over your future medical care.
It is a legal document that states your wishes, in advance, regarding potential health care decisions. The Mississippi optional Advance Directive for Health Care is a threepart form that can provide instructions in the following ways: stating your wishes regarding “extraordinary techniques that prolong life through artificial means”, giving other specific instructions regarding your own health care and naming someone (your agent) to make health care decisions.
