Better With Age: Advance Directive & Why You Should Have One

By Kaitlin Irwin

Part of moving into one’s senior years involves sorting out final plans. While it may seem daunting, doing so can save you and your loved ones a headache later on down the road. One of the things for seniors to consider is an advanced directive, but what exactly is it? An advanced directive is a legal document that details what medical actions and treatments to take at the end of one’s life. This can be crucial in determining end-of-life care and can be very helpful for loved ones and caregivers.

You do not need a lawyer in order to get an advanced directive; however, the laws regarding advance directives vary from state to state so be sure to research these beforehand. By having the medical instructions written out prior to you possibly being unable to communicate clearly, your appointed healthcare agent/decision maker is authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf.

There are some important aspects to remember about advanced directives. If you regain consciousness after having previously lost consciousness, your appointed healthcare agent/decision maker can no longer make medical decisions for you. Oftentimes, two medical professionals are required in order to determine that you truly are incapable of making your own decisions regarding medical actions and treatments. In the case of an emergency, the medical emergency authorities are not required to abide by the advanced directive. Keep in mind that advanced directives do not expire or need to be renewed, so you should check back on them every so often to ensure that yours is still in line with your final wishes.

Whether you specify detailed medical instructions for your healthcare agent or not, it is always best to consider an advanced directive. In the case that you are deemed unable to understand and/or act on your own behalf, someone else will have to do it for you. It’s always better to have your wishes be known, rather than having someone simply decide for you. Many seniors find that they have more peace of mind after completing an advanced directive.

It’s quite easy to fill out the advanced directive form. You must provide the name and contact information for your healthcare agent/decision maker, your wishes for end-of-life care as well as preferences for treatment (for example: whether you want feeding tubes, breathing machines, etc.) Once two witnesses sign the document, the advanced directive is legalized.

You can download an advanced directive form on the Penn Medicine website

(https://www.pennmedicine.org) and go over it with your family and lawyer if you have one.