Skip to main content

California Advance Health Care Directive

In the state of California health professionals provide patients with an Advance Health Care Directive form. Doctors can give patients information and advice, however, the patient has the right to accept or refuse treatment. I think the Advance Health Care Directive is a proactive initiative that everybody should have.

The Advance Health Care Directive is a written statement that gives authority to another person in place of the patient, when they are unable to make medical decisions. If the patient is 18 years old or older and of sound mind they can complete the Advance Health Care Directive form. If you are too sick to make a decision, doctors will ask your closest relative or friend to make decisions for you. However, the Advance Health Care Directive prevents doctors from having to find the closest relative or friend to make decisions for you because your "agent" would already be stated in the form. The form is great because it states the kind of treatment you want and do not want. The Advance Health Care Directive can be revoked or changed at any time.

I do not know if other states have something similar to the Advance Health Care Directive, if they don't you should contact your doctor and let them know who you want to make health decisions on your behalf in case you are unable to.

I live in Atlanta, Georgia and do not know the laws surrounding this issue. However, I plan to talk to my doctor to let them know who I want to make medical decisions on my behalf.

Have you spoke to your doctor about who you want to make treatment decisions for you when you are unable?
Labels:

Comments

HektikLyfe said…
These are such tough decisions. I think people are afraid to accept their own mortality. Humanity has always been plagued by this fear and has since created alternatives, such as religion, to facilitate our ability to ignore it altogether.

People don't like doing this, nor planning for their own burial for that exact reason.

Death planning is becoming more common, however, as the religious population dwindles. Funny how they go hand in hand.

With the recent financial problems plaguing the United States as well as other parts of the world, I wonder if people will flock right back into the hands of the "righteous."
September 29, 2008 at 7:22 PM
susan said…
I found your blog from Dano, and love it. I just added it to my humble blog roll.

take care and I look forward to reading more of you
September 30, 2008 at 8:37 AM
Ashley Smith said…
Susan, thank you so much for checking out my blog.

Ashley
September 30, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Cesia said…
I have an Advance Medical Directive that I always carry in my wallet. Its not state-specific, but it lists my health conditions and medical allergies as well as states my wishes on specific treatment options (such as, pull the plug - or keep me alive?), and gives an agent and a backup agent. I think they are great for anyone with strong medical wishes.

- Cesia.
http://ceceatitagain.blogspot.com
October 2, 2008 at 1:07 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

by A Guest Blogger: For Addicts, Recovery Means Creating a New Life

If you’re struggling to maintain your sobriety, you aren’t alone. There are millions of fighters just like you working toward reclaiming their lives from drugs and alcohol. There are a few common traits that many successful recovering addicts share. Keep reading to find out what they are and how you can follow in their footsteps. They establish new patterns You can’t continue to live your life the same was you did when you were using. You must change and adapt to your newfound sobriety. Consider a career change; many recovering addicts find they have more success by starting their own business. One career that is easy to enter is dog walking. As a dog walker , you’ll reap many rewards including getting to spend time with dogs, which can actually boost your recovery efforts and stave off depression. Dogs have been used as part of a treatment plan for users as young as 11 and come with the added benefit of helping you stay physically active. Plus, being with ...
2 comments
Read more

No, Please, That's Not Me

Prior to my diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia I did some things that I am not proud of. Now that I look back on things I blame my illness for my poor judgment. I am by no means condoning the behavior I carried out, and will share with you here. I will provide a few instances where my behavior was unlike me and caused an uproar. This post shows how schizophrenia affects other people. This post is for the family members and friends of people with schizophrenia, or showing bizarre behaviors. First, I asked my mother permission to give my friend a statue that was in my mother's house. My mother agreed to give my friend the statue, however, I took her permission a step further to get rid of what she had at my discretion. At the time I did not live with my mother who was away on a business trip. My mother buys and sells things so she had a lot of collectibles, antiques, and other interesting stuff. While my friend and me were in my mother's house my friend saw a lot of stuff that s...
6 comments
Read more

What Is Remission?

Remission is the absence of symptoms for at least six months with the support of medication. In other words, a doctor who has never seen you before may not diagnose you as a person with schizophrenia anymore. Remission is also high functioning in several aspects of life, living independently, goinig to school or to work, and socializing with other people. However, this does not mean the patient is cured or the illness has went away, the illness is still present, however, under control. Remission is achieved with the assistance of medication. "Published studies suggest that 10% to 20% of people with schizophrenia have remission of their illness as they get older, 20% get worse, but in a large majority (60% to 70%), the course of illness remains relatively unchanged." To reach remission it is recommended that you aim for a stress-free environment. Therefore, do things to relieve stress such as journaling, exercising, talking to friends, listening to or creating music, making a...
9 comments
Read more