Font size: Health Care Decisions & Advance Directives: Overview of the Basics
Years ago, people young and old were more likely to die quickly of natural causes than they are today, when medical technology can extend the lives of seriously ill people for long periods of time.
Sometimes, modern technology offers us miraculous results; at other times, the latest therapies and procedures seem only to prolong suffering and the dying process.
Thinking about and planning ahead for emergencies and end-of-life situations when you are in good health gives you and your loved ones the opportunity to prepare for a medical crisis that can happen to anyone at any time.
If you become too sick to make your own choices and have not planned ahead for your medical care, your doctor will need to consult with your family or close friends—or perhaps a guardian—to obtain informed consent for your treatment. The best way to guarantee that your wishes are known and honored is to complete an advance directive and talk to members of your family, close friends and health care providers about your preferences for care and treatment. This will relieve them of the burden of having to guess about what you would want in the event that you are unable to speak for yourself.
What is an advance directive?
An advance directive is a legal document that allows you to give instructions for a broad range of health care decisions and appoint an agent to make those decisions for you if you become unable or unwilling to do so yourself. It is any written communication from you, properly signed and witnessed, that speaks about your future wishes and preferences for treatment.
Because advance directives express your values, they provide the best possible guidance to those who will make decisions about your care when needed. Completing an advance directive also allows you to designate a health care agent, a person of your choosing who can make decisions for you in the event that you are no longer able to speak for yourself.
For more information about advance directives see: Frequently Asked Questions and Checklist for Advance Directives.
Vermont Advance Directive Registry
Vermont Advance Directive Registry (VADR) is a secure database service that stores a scanned copy of your advance directive electronically so that it can be found immediately by any hospital or doctor who is treating you in an emergency. For more information and instructions on registering your advance directive see: Registering Your Advance Directive.