Sharing Your Wishes & Making Health Care Decisions
What Are Advance Directives?
“Advance directive” is a general term that refers to a person’s verbal and written instructions about future medical care, in the event that the person becomes unable to speak for him or herself. Each state regulates the use of advance directives differently. There are several types of advance directives available in Ohio: the Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney, Ohio’s Do-Not-Resuscitate law, and Organ and Tissue Donation.
Why Do I Need Advance Directives?
Advance directives give you a voice in decisions about your medical care when you are unconscious or too ill to communicate. As long as you are able to express your own decisions, your advance directives will not be used and you can accept or refuse any medical treatment. But if you become seriously ill, you may lose the ability to participate in decisions about your own treatment.
