Advanced Directives: Planning for Healthcare

You never know when a medical emergency will occur, and you can’t predict whether you will be able to avoid serious, chronic illness later in life. That’s why planning for your future is so important. Whether you are just starting out in life, gearing up for retirement or dealing with a recent diagnosis, having an advance care plan gives you the comfort of knowing that you or someone you trust can make the right healthcare decisions when the time comes.

Advance care planning, which can begin as early as age 18, allows you to determine the medical or end-of-life care you would like to receive in the event of an emergency or terminal illness. It also lets you decide who will speak for you if you’re unable to voice your wishes.

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

Obtain a Planning Guide

To obtain a free planning guide please contact one of our patient representatives at 229.228.2782 or 229.228.8086.