Although we may not want to think about it for ourselves just yet, we do need to be thinking of our patients that we take care of in terms of what they would want to have done for themselves in the event they couldn’t make their own decisions. At our age who even understands what an advance directive is? A living will? Why would I need that when I am only 28 years old? Honestly, we should all have one when we are old enough to speak our minds and make decisions for ourselves because you never know what could happen. An advance directive is a legal document that an individual has written up indicating what they would like to have done medically and acts as an end-of-life plan (NHPCO, n.d.). An advance directive is composed of two things: a
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It is recommended that the person that is chosen is someone the patient is close with and is well known to; that way it is easier for decisions to be made and they can be a strong advocate for the patient. The power of attorney is also responsible for making sure that non-medical treatments, such as how funeral services go, what be done during the time of passing (rituals, special requests, etc) and any other decisions that need to be made that the patient can’t speak upon for themselves (AARP, 2010 ). Once someone has been appointed the patient’s physician makes them aware that if the patient makes progress and is able to make decisions then that becomes their right again and that if refusal of a treatment is given it may be possible that a second opinion from another physician is given before following through with said decision (NHPCO, n.d.). Also, a healthcare power of attorney is different from a durable power of attorney so it is important for them to know that they will only be responsible for health care decisions. A healthcare power of attorney leaves the patient and family with a sense of comfort knowing that their voice is being heard, their wishes are being followed through with and they are …show more content…
The only exception to this is if EMT personnel are the first to arrive to the aid of the patient then they are required by law to make all attempts to save a life. They can only be changed or voided by the patient themselves so it is important that they stay up-to-date throughout the years and as life takes on different roles (NHPCO,
It is recommended that the person that is chosen is someone the patient is close with and is well known to; that way it is easier for decisions to be made and they can be a strong advocate for the patient. The power of attorney is also responsible for making sure that non-medical treatments, such as how funeral services go, what be done during the time of passing (rituals, special requests, etc) and any other decisions that need to be made that the patient can’t speak upon for themselves (AARP, 2010 ). Once someone has been appointed the patient’s physician makes them aware that if the patient makes progress and is able to make decisions then that becomes their right again and that if refusal of a treatment is given it may be possible that a second opinion from another physician is given before following through with said decision (NHPCO, n.d.). Also, a healthcare power of attorney is different from a durable power of attorney so it is important for them to know that they will only be responsible for health care decisions. A healthcare power of attorney leaves the patient and family with a sense of comfort knowing that their voice is being heard, their wishes are being followed through with and they are …show more content…
The only exception to this is if EMT personnel are the first to arrive to the aid of the patient then they are required by law to make all attempts to save a life. They can only be changed or voided by the patient themselves so it is important that they stay up-to-date throughout the years and as life takes on different roles (NHPCO,