ADVANCE DIRECTIVES INFORMATION

The Patient Self-Determination Act

As of December 1, 1991 the provisions of the Patient Self-Determination Act became effective.This act requires that certain health care facilities participating in the Medicare or Medicaid programs provide Individuals with information regarding their rights under state law to make decisions regarding medical care. This includes the right to refuse treatment and to execute living wills, powers of attorney, and other advance directives addressing the provision of medical care and psychiatric care. Care will not be denied because an individual does not have an advance directive.

Psychiatric Advanced Directive

Psychiatric Advance Directives is a document that outlines the psychiatric care you would like to receive in the event you become unable to make the decision for yourself or an individual you have guardianship over. Anyone with a severe and persistent mental illness should consider obtaining one. However, at the present time a psychiatric advance directive is not a legal document in the State of Georgia. There is a bill before the State legislature to make them a legal document.

Advance Directive

An advance directive is a written document, such as a living will or durable power of attorney for health care that makes your wishes clear regarding your medical and psychiatric care if you become unable to communicate your decisions to your care provider.

Living Will

A living will is a written directive that lets you state what type of medical treatment you do or do not wish to receive if you are too ill or injured to direct your own care, up to and including withholding or withdrawing lifesaving and/or sustaining procedures. State law describes a specific kind of form that must be used in order for a living will to be valid. This form must be signed, dated, and witnessed.

Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care

A durable power of attorney, also known as a medical power of attorney, is a signed, dated, and witnessed legal document in which you designate a trusted person (an agent or attorney-in-fact) to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to make the decisions yourself. You can give your agent the authority to oversee the wishes you've set out in your health care declaration, as well as the power to make other necessary decisions about health care matters.

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