A serious cycling accident on Gibraltar Road, a freeway collision, a stroke — any of these could take away your ability to communicate, and they can happen at any age.
The Advance Care Directive is a vital legal document that dictates the type of health care you want to receive if you are unable to make healthcare decisions for yourself. The free, user-friendly form identifies your desired health-care agent, someone who understands your wishes and will speak on your behalf when you can no longer do so. If there is no directive, the responsibility would go to your next of kin, which may not be the person ideally suited to making critical medical and end-of-life decisions.
It’s important to note that if you are not legally married to your significant other, he or she cannot weigh in unless you have designated them as your health-care agent on record. If you have chosen to be an organ donor, this should also be included in the directive.