An Advance Medical Directive is a legal document that tells medical specialists and medical care providers how you would like them to carry out treatment with regards to the choices you have made for present and future medical and emergency care, regardless of whether you can't vocalize these choices for yourself.
Considering recent events this legal document is now being used for this traditional purpose and also for many other applications in order to protect themselves.
When you have properly completed and filed your Advance Medical Directive into your clinical/patient records, your physicians and other medical services providers can treat you in accordance with your documented wishes as expressed in your Advance Medical Directive.
There are two fundamental sorts of advance mandates (and many more now considering current events). The basis of these are:
A Living Will, the most common type, tells your doctor or medical services provider in writing what kind of clinical considerations, consents and prohibitions you have in-case you become incapable of communicating these choices for yourself.
A Durable Power of Attorney for medical choices or a Medical Proxy permits you to name someone, like a parent, spouse, wife, child or dear companion, to act on your behalf or to act as your patient advocate in the event that you can't pursue clinical choices for yourself.
It is important to be sure that this person agrees to act as your "agent or advocate" and to discuss what medicines and treatments you would consent to and those you would prohibit, as well as your short and long-term objectives and values.
Your state's regulations might permit you to have both a living will and a sturdy legal authority or to join them in a solitary structure. You might need to address a legal counselor or contact your state or nearby bar relationship about your state's regulations concerning these 2 types of Advance Medical Directives.