Advance directives provide a way to let people know what you would like to happen about your future care, medical treatment, and financial affairs.
These statements allow you to express your wishes about health care treatments. Living wills are a type of advance directive which include statements about when you would like to accept or refuse medical treatment.
They allow you to propose who you would like to manage your financial affairs as a receiver before the need occurs. This is valuable for people who could not benefit from enduring powers of attorney.
Doctors and other professionals need to know your thoughts or feelings about accepting treatment. They need to know who you would like to manage your financial affairs.
You can share your thoughts by:
speaking writing, or other methods of expression that speech therapists can provide.
If you become unable to express yourself, your care decisions will be made by others. Having created an advance directive or a living will enable you to make your wishes known.
If you become unable to let people know what you think or feel these statements would let others know.
You may lose your ability to express yourself, or understand what you are agreeing to, unexpectedly.
Possible reasons for these losses include:
physical or mental illness
injury or trauma
mental disorders
forgetfulness, or
confusion.
The document must be prepared fully and properly. You must understand the results of the actions that you propose in the advance directive or living will.
There is a possibility that your wishes may not be carried out despite your best intentions and preparation. Discussing your wishes and giving a copy of the document to your doctor and solicitor can be helpful.
Creating an advance statement refusing certain types of treatment is known as an advance refusal, or living will. Your doctor may refuse to follow your wishes when you create an advance statement refusing treatment. Therefore, it is a good idea to discuss your wishes with the doctor when you give them a copy of the document.
The Court of Protection and Public Guardianship Office determine who acts as your receiver and monitors their performance. It would be helpful if you state who you would like to manage your money and property in your EPA document, in the case it needs to be registered.