Importance of Advance Directives Essay Example for Free

Importance of mount Directives EssayThe Importance of Advance Directives Tara J. DiDonato Axia College of University of Phoenix The Importance of Advance Directives While most tidy sum do not speak about end of life issues either because of their background or religion, it is not only for the elderly, we should every last(predicate) shed light on our wishes known. fit to the Pew Research Center, (January 2006), 42% ofAmericans have had a friend or relativesuffer from a terminal illness or coma in the last five years andfor a majority of these people , the issue of withholding life sustaining treatment came up. Although many people feel it is taboo, all adults over the age of 18 should think about what their healthc atomic number 18 wishes would be if they could not speak for themselves. These wishes should be documented in an discard directive, so that loved anes know what they argon. Power of Communication correspond to the Mayo Clinic (2005), The issues surrounding seri ous illness and death are not easy to discuss. Decisions are much easier on our loved ones if we have an evoke directive in place before we are faced with a serious illness or accident.Without communicating our wishes, we might find ourselves in a condition that we are unable to communicate the medical treatment we wish to receive, such as resuscitation or life support. Having a conversation with loved ones is important to clarify medical wishes. We should explain our wishes and explain how our values have shaped our decision. Types of Advance Directives According to the Mayo Clinic (2005), Advance Directives are written instructions regarding your medical care preferences. There are various types of advance directives, such as a support Will, Durable Power of Attorney, healthcare Proxy and Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR).Durable power of attorney and living wills have limitations, they do not include instructions for every situation, which means that we need to trust that the per son we have named will make the decisions which are in our best interest and are what we would have wanted. A DNR order is a form that is commonly discussed with a physician. A DNR order alerts physicians and emergency medical personnel that if a patients heart stops beating or if the patient stops breathing, there should be no attempts to revive them. Another advance directive is a Healthcare Proxy (HCP).This document allows patients to choose an agent to act on their behalf if they are temporarily or permanently unable to make healthcare decisions on their own. According to Fell, Kukula and Taylor (2005), as with other advance directives, it is very important to discuss, in detail, all of your wishes with your surrogate and make sure they clearly understand and are willing to make these decisions on your behalf (p. 4). Everyone should have a voice, not just the elderly Advance directives are not just for the elderly, anyone over the age of 18 should have one. unannounced situation s can arise at any age and there might be end of life decisions that needs to be made. In the event that a person does not have an advance directive in place, according to Fell, et al. (2005), you will receive medical care to the fullest extent appropriate for your condition. Without an advance directive the patient might receive more treatment than he or she would have wanted. The biggest misconception about an advance directive is that people think that having one means do not treat, this is incorrect. Frequently used medical terms