Advance Directive Remove Demanded Field For Free

Advance directives include legal documentation such as a living will, power of attorney and do not resuscitate (DNR) orders.

The most common types of advance directives are the living will and the durable power of attorney for health care (sometimes known as the medical power of attorney).

Traditionally, there are two main kinds of advance directives: the living will and the Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare. California also allows the use of a POLST (Physician's Orders For Life-Sustaining Treatment).

A medical or health care power of attorney is a type of advance directive in which you name a person to make decisions for you when you are unable to do so. In some states this directive may also be called a durable power of attorney for health care or a health care proxy.

The most common types of advance directives are the living will and the durable power of attorney for health care (sometimes known as the medical power of attorney). There are many advance directive formats. Some follow forms outlined in state laws, others are created by lawyers or even the patients themselves.

The law clearly bars doctors from giving unwanted treatments. Even when the written directive is unclear, if a physician ignores an agent's attempts to enforce the patient's preferences, there are grounds for a lawsuit.

Problems with Advance Directives Sometimes, people change their minds after expressing advance directives and forget to inform others. Many times, advance directives are too vague to guide clinical decisions.

Advance directives generally fall into three categories: living will, power of attorney and health care proxy. LIVING WILL: This is a written document that specifies what types of medical treatment are desired. A living will can be very specific or very general.

Controversy includes such matters as whether advance directives create more confusion than clarity about a patient's wishes, whether they can always be taken as expressing the true desires of a patient, and whether healthcare staff should always follow them.

Advance directives are legally recognized documents and doctors must respect your known wishes, but doctors can always refuse to comply with your wishes if they have an objection of conscience or consider your wishes medically inappropriate.