Importance Of Advanced Directives

If there is one thing that life teaches you, it is this; life is so unpredictable. This is why it is so important to be prepared in every endeavor of your life. Medical illness or death can hit anyone of us, at any time and without warning. With this in mind, advanced directives are becoming more increasingly popular and for good reasons. An advanced directive can come in many different forms, for instance, an advanced directive includes a living will, medical power of attorney and a healthcare surrogate. The reason an advanced directive should be implemented is when a patient cannot speak for themselves due to medical issues and there by relinquishes the rights and decisions to a personal agent to make the decisions upon their behalf. When we find ourselves in a position like this, ethical questions have to be asked. As Christians, we need to make sure that we follow through with our medical decisions that are based upon biblical teachings and we will discuss this further as we go along. An advanced directive is a form of protection for the patient. If a patient becomes unable to convey their wishes due to medical issues, an advanced directive has the means to protect and explain their healthcare choices. The advanced
If a patient’s body becomes unable to digest valuable nutrients, there is no need to continue to have a patient use a feeding tube. This only adds to the hardships and added pain to the patient and it becomes progressively unethical by continuing such treatment. As Christians, we understand that God determines the time and place of our death and this is why Christians look down upon the new practices of assisted suicide. Assisted suicides are just that, suicides and as Christians we fully understand that we don’t determine our deaths but God does. After further reading on advanced directives and watching Dr. Scott Rae’s videos, my opinions have totally changed on the ethical importance of