A health care agent is a person you appoint to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated or unable to make any decisions. A Living Will (Advanced Directive) expresses your wishes about your health care including, but not limited to, resuscitation, life sustaining treatments (respirator, feeding tube, etc.) and withholding / withdrawing of life sustaining treatments. The Living Will is only effective when you are terminally ill or unconscious and unable to communicate your wishes. When it comes to making decisions regarding end of life issues, do you know your wishes or have you communicated those…
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It's one of the toughest questions patients and their loved ones can discuss with physicians: When is further medical treatment futile? The conversation can become even more difficult if patients or their families disagree with health care providers' recommendations on end-of-life care. Early, clear communication between patients and their care teams, choosing health care agent (Surrogate) to represent patients, by signing a Medical Power of Attorney and Living Will, can help avoid conflicts. "Health care professionals in the United States have struggled with the importance of maintaining patient autonomy while attempting to practice under the guidance of treatments based on…
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A living will can't cover every possible situation. Therefore, you might also want a medical POA to designate someone to be your health care agent. This person will be guided by your living will but has the authority to interpret your wishes in situations that aren't described in your living will. A medical POA also might be a good idea if your family is opposed to some of your wishes or is divided about them, states the Mayo Clinic. Choosing a health care agent Choosing a person to act as your health care agent is possibly the most important part…
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If an individual becomes incapacitated, it is important that someone have the legal authority to communicate that person's wishes concerning medical treatment. Similar to a power of attorney, a health care agent allows an individual to appoint someone else to act as their agent, but for medical, as opposed to financial, decisions. The health care agent is a document executed by a competent person (the principal) giving another person (the agent) the authority to make health care decisions for the principal if he or she is unable to communicate such decisions. By executing a health care agent, principals ensure that…
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o Would you want the following medical treatments? Kidney Dialysis (if kidneys not working) CPR (used if heart stops working) Respirator (unable to breathe) Artificial nutrition (unable to eat food) Artificial hydration (unable to drink fluids) o Imagine that you are in a permanent coma and dependent on a feeding tube. Would your medical decisions be guided by any particular religious beliefs or spiritual values? o Are some conditions worse than death? If you are housebound, in severe discomfort or pain most of the time, would you want medical treatments to keep you alive? o Discuss your…
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A health care agent is a person you appoint to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated or unable to make any decisions. A Living Will (Advanced Directive) expresses your wishes about your health care including, but not limited to, resuscitation, life sustaining treatments (respirator, feeding tube, etc.) and withholding / withdrawing of life sustaining treatments. The Living Will is only effective when you are terminally ill or unconscious and unable to communicate your wishes. When it comes to making decisions regarding end of life issues, do you know your wishes or have you communicated those wishes…
Read More »
Frederick, MD 
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