What are advance directives?
As a competent adult, you have the right to decide to accept or refuse
any medical treatment. “Competent” means you understand your condition and the
results your decision may have. As long as you are competent, you are the only
person who can decide what medical treatment you want and do not want to
receive. Your doctors will give you information and advice about the pros and
cons of different kinds of treatment, but only you can choose whether to say
“yes” or “no”. You can say “no” even if the treatment you refuse might keep you
alive longer and even if your doctor or your family wants you to have it.
Someday, you may become too sick to make your own decisions about your medical
care. If that happens, then decisions will have to be made for you. If you have
not given any instructions, no one will know what you would have decided.
Many
people have strong feelings about the kind of medical care they would like to
receive or refuse in certain cases. Advance directives are documents that allow
you to clearly state your feelings. These choices can be changed or cancelled at
any time. It is a good idea to review your advance directive each year to be
sure it still says how you want to be treated. The forms also include a place to
state your wishes about organ and tissue donation upon your death. This is a
special way for you to help save someone else’s life through transplant surgery
after you die.
You are not required by law to have these decisions written out.
You can make your wishes known by talking with your family or doctor or by
writing them down, but unless you have a document called “durable power of
attorney”, your chosen spokesperson does not have legal authority to act for
you.
There are two kinds of Advance Directives allowed under Washington State
law:
- 1. Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care – This names another person
who will make medical decisions for you if you are not able to make them for
yourself. You can pick a family member, friend or any other person you trust,
but be sure the person you choose is willing to serve.
- 2. Directive to
Physicians (Living Will) – This is a statement that you want to die naturally
and don’t wish to have medical treatments that will extend your life.
You can
obtain sample forms for Advance Directives online: http://www.wsma.org/files/Downloads/PatientResources/HCD-forms.pdf Or you can get sample forms from your
Primary Care Physician, or at any hospital admitting office.
If you are not
happy with CUP’s information about advance directives you have the right to file
a grievance with CUP. You also have the right to file a grievance with DSHS if
you feel CUP’s advance directive information does not meet state and federal
laws. You can contact CUP to file a grievance if you feel your advance directive
wishes are not being met by your provider.
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