Advance Directive: A Necessity
Advance Directives: A Necessity
Health Rights and Responsibilities
Beth VanOrsdale
October 20, 2013
Advance Directives Advance directives are common medical documents that assist health care providers in providing care to patients. There are four types of advance directives which are: a Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA), Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders (Fremgen, 2009). In this paper, the advance directive called the Living Will will be explained. A Living Will is drafted while a person is still mentally healthy and able to make decisions about their health care. The Living Will expressly details what care that the patient would or would not want in the event of a terminal injury or illness where they would not be able to express their wishes. Each and every person should have an advance Directive or Living Will to take the burden off of their family to make decisions regarding their life. Life threatening illness is an emotional time and can cause great pain if someone is not ready to let go.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Living Will The advantage of a living will is the relinquishment of the burden to take someone’s life. A living will gives the instruction as to when to continue to fight for life, or when to let it go. Some people want everything possible to be done to keep them alive as long as possible. More informed individuals who understand there are circumstances where there is no hope for recovery will direct that they do not wish to be kept alive through artificial measures. This includes not only a ventilator, but also feeding tubes. Because the part of your brain that controls breathing is in the brainstem away from the part of your brain that makes you conscious and alert, a person can continue breathing and their heart will continue to pump, but their cognitive function can be dead. In this instance, they are no longer going to recuperate. An
Health Rights and Responsibilities
Beth VanOrsdale
October 20, 2013
Advance Directives Advance directives are common medical documents that assist health care providers in providing care to patients. There are four types of advance directives which are: a Living Will, Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA), Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders (Fremgen, 2009). In this paper, the advance directive called the Living Will will be explained. A Living Will is drafted while a person is still mentally healthy and able to make decisions about their health care. The Living Will expressly details what care that the patient would or would not want in the event of a terminal injury or illness where they would not be able to express their wishes. Each and every person should have an advance Directive or Living Will to take the burden off of their family to make decisions regarding their life. Life threatening illness is an emotional time and can cause great pain if someone is not ready to let go.
Advantages and Disadvantages of a Living Will The advantage of a living will is the relinquishment of the burden to take someone’s life. A living will gives the instruction as to when to continue to fight for life, or when to let it go. Some people want everything possible to be done to keep them alive as long as possible. More informed individuals who understand there are circumstances where there is no hope for recovery will direct that they do not wish to be kept alive through artificial measures. This includes not only a ventilator, but also feeding tubes. Because the part of your brain that controls breathing is in the brainstem away from the part of your brain that makes you conscious and alert, a person can continue breathing and their heart will continue to pump, but their cognitive function can be dead. In this instance, they are no longer going to recuperate. An
Cited: Attorney General State of California. (2004). Advance Directives. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from Attorney General State of California: http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/pdf/AHCDS1.pdf Mcardle, M. (2009, August 20). The Benefits of Advance Directives. Retrieved October 18, 2013, from The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2009/08/the-benefits-of-advanced-directives/23617/ Fremgen, B. F. Medical Law and Ethics, 4/e For DeVry University (4th ed). Pearson Learning Solutions. Retrieved from http://devry.vitalsource.com/books/9781256400837/id/ch13lev1sec9