Definitions
Advance Directive: A written document that tells what a person wants or does not want if he/she, in the future, cannot make his/her wishes known about medical treatment.
Artificial Nutrition and Hydration: Food and water are fed to a person through a tube.
Autopsy: An examination done on a dead body to establish cause of death.
Comfort Care: Care that helps to keep a person comfortable but does not make him/her better. Bathing, turning, and keeping a person's lips moist are examples of comfort care.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Treatment to try to restart a person's breathing or heartbeat. CPR may be done by pushing on the chest, putting a tube down the throat, or by other treatment.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care: An advanced directive that appoints someone to make medical decisions for a person if, in the future, he/she cannot make his/her own medical decisions.
Life-Sustaining Treatment: Any medical treatment that is used to keep a person from dying. A breathing machine, CPR, and artificial nutrition and hydration are examples of life-sustaining treatment.
Living Will: An advance directive that tells what medical treatment a person does or does not want if he/she is not able to make his/her wishes known.
Organ and Tissue Donation: When a person permits his/her organs (i.e., eyes, heart, skin, liver, kidneys, etc:) to be removed after death to be transplanted for use by another person or to be used for experimental purposes.
Persistent Vegetative State: When a person is unconscious with no hope of regaining consciousness even with medical treatment. The body may move and eyes may be open, but as far as anyone can tell, the person cannot think or respond.
Terminal Condition: An on-going condition caused by injury or illness that has no cure and from which doctors expect the person to die even with medical treatment. Life-sustaining treatments will only prolong the person's dying process, if he/she is suffering from a terminal condition.
Advance Directives
An advance directive is a written statement of your wishes regarding your health care, which goes into effect if at some time you are unable to make health care decisions. There are two types of advance directives: a living will and a durable healthcare power of attorney.
A living will is a document which states your desires concerning the medical treatment you do, or do not want to receive if you become unable to make your own medical care decisions.
A durable healthcare power of attorney is a document in which you give another adult person the legal authority to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to do so. You can designate anyone, a spouse, relative or good friend as your decision maker. This person is frequently referred to as your agent, proxy, or surrogate decision maker.
Why should I put my wishes in writing?
If, as a result of serious injury or illness, you become unable to make medical treatment decisions, you retain legal ability to control your medical treatment by having an advance directive. Writing your wishes down helps your doctor, family, and friends to know what medical treatment you do or do not want in case YOU cannot tell them Yourself.
Should I have both kinds of directives?
YES! In most cases it is a good idea to combine a living will and a durable healthcare power of attorney into a single document. Doing so helps your health care team, family, and friends to carry out your wishes.
Who should I tell about my advance directive(s)?
Before you prepare an advance directive, you should discuss your medical treatment wishes with your physicians, close family members, and the person you choose as your surrogate.
You should give a copy of your advance directive to your primary physician. You should also bring a copy of your advance directive with you any time you are, or anticipate that you will be, admitted to the hospital. A copy of any durable healthcare power of attorney should be given to the person you named as your surrogate decision maker.
Am I required to have an advance directive?
No. You are not required by law or hospital policy to have an advance directive in order to receive care. However, an advance directive is the most effective way to ensure that your desires concerning medical treatment are honored if you become unable to communicate your choices to those providing your medical care.
What should be included in an advance directive?
You should declare your desires concerning the initiation or withdrawal or life-sustaining medical treatment. Typical instructions include those concerning:
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): treatment to restore breathing and heartbeat. It may include pushing on the chest, electric shock to the chest, and the insertion of a breathing tube in your throat.
Dialysis: treatment to clean the blood with a machine when the kidneys do not function.
Being placed on a ventilator or breathing machine.
Giving food, water, and medications through tubes.
Giving pain medication and comfort.
Donating your organs.
What if my doctor and I do not agree about my treatment?
Your doctor will treat you according to professionally accepted medical standards. If you and your doctor do not agree about your medical treatment, you have the right to choose to be treated by another physician.
Can I change my advance directive?
Your advance directive can be changed, or revoked by you at any time, either verbally, or in writing. If you do so, it is crucial that you tell your physician and family members, along with anyone you have designated as your decision maker.
How can I have an advance directive prepared?
You can complete the advance directive form yourself in the presence of acceptable witnesses. You may wish to download copies of an advance directive form, together with instructions for completing the form, and a list of definitions. Forms are also available on each inpatient unit/floor. It is recommended that you discuss advance directives with your family and physician before you prepare one. Your physician, his/her employees, and employees of the hospital are prohibited from serving as witnesses in the completion of your advance directive. Likewise, a hospital employee cannot provide a blank advance directive to a patient at the request of a friend or family member, or anyone else other than the patient himself.
What do I need to remember?
It is important to remember that you are a member of your own health care team. Your wishes about your care are important to your doctor and the other health care professionals engaged in your medical care and treatment. They can serve you best if you continue to talk with them and with your family throughout your treatment, both in and out of the hospital.
Form Download and Instructions - Advance Directives
Form Download and Instructions
This form is for use in the state of Georgia. This form cannot be filled from your computer. In order to use it, you need to download it, fill in the blanks, and sign it. At least two witnesses are required.
It allows you to indicate what medical treatment you do or do not want if, in the future, you are unable to make your wishes known.
Download the form (This form is availabe in PDF format. You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.)
Directions
Read each section of the form carefully. You may want to review a list of definitions in order to better understand the meaning of some of the words used in the advance directive.
The living will must be executed in the presence of two competent adults. Each of these two witnesses must swear that:
a. He/she personally knows the declarant and knows that the declarant is at least eighteen years of age and of sound mind;
b. He/she, the witness, is at least eighteen years of age; and
c. At the time of execution and attestation of the Living Will, the witness neither is related to the declarant by blood or marriage; nor would be entitled to any portion of the declarant's estate either by way of an existing will or the declarant or by the operation of descent and distribution laws of the State of Georgia; nor is directly responsible financially for the declarant's medical care; nor has a present claim against any portion of the declarant's estate.
Enter the date on which the Living Will is being executed.
Enter your full name.
Enter the city, county, and state of your residence.
Each witness must sign the Living Will, and enter his/her address.