Advance Directives

Description

Patients have the constitutional right to make decisions regarding their own medical care. This right includes the right to refuse medical treatment, even if treatment is necessary to prevent the patient from dying. A patient's right to request that medical treatment be withheld or withdrawn does not change, even when the patient loses the capacity to make the request. An Advance Directive is a legal document intended to ensure that healthcare providers honor a patient's decisions regarding treatment, even when he or she is no longer able to communicate those decisions.

• Understand Advance Directives and their importance 
• Understand Living Wills and how they are a part of Advance Directives 
• Understand the application of Medical Power of Attorney 
• Recognize other types of Advance Orders 
• Understand the role of healthcare providers and facilities in advocating for and implementing Advance Directives