Advanced Directives: Planning for Healthcare
Advance Directives
Advance care planning involves filling out forms called advance directives, sometimes called healthcare directives. These are legal documents that allow you to write out decisions you make about medical treatments and name a healthcare agent who can communicate those decisions when you cannot.
In Georgia, you can fill out the Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care. This document covers a number of topics, including:
- Choosing a healthcare agent. Your healthcare agent can be a family member or another loved on whom you trust. This person’s role is to provide consent, make treatment decisions, and speak to your doctors about your condition if you are temporarily or permanently incapacitated.
- Documenting treatment preferences. The document lets you state whether you want lifesaving measures. This can include the use of breathing or dialysis machines and resuscitation if your heart stops. Or you can specify if you want care that focuses only on your comfort and maintaining quality of life.
If you do not want to fill out a Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care, there are other documents that allow you to designate a healthcare agent. You can also create a separate living will. Living wills generally apply to end-of-life medical care only.
How We Can Help
Our patient advocates are experienced in helping patients and families plan for the future. We offer consultations and educational resources and can help you fill out the legal documents you need. You don’t have to be a patient at our facilities to take advantage of our planning services. Anyone within our community is welcome to call and discuss advance directives and care plans.
To speak with a representative about recording your wishes, call 229.228.2782 or 229.228.8086 today and we will help you start the process.
Resources
To obtain a free planning guide please contact one of our patient representatives at 229.228.2782 or 229.228.8086.