Section 7: Healthcare Decision Making
Planning for healthcare decision-making ensures your wishes are honored and relieves family members of making difficult decisions without guidance. Comprehensive healthcare planning includes both appointing an agent to make decisions and documenting your preferences and values.
Creating Effective Healthcare Directives
When completing your healthcare proxy and living will, think carefully about your preferences regarding medical care. Consider what quality of life means to you and what circumstances would make life worth living or not worth living. Some people prioritize extending life as long as possible regardless of quality, while others prioritize quality of life and natural death when recovery is unlikely. Think about your experiences with serious illness or death of loved ones and what you learned from those experiences
Addressing Organ and Tissue Donation
Many people wish to donate organs and tissues after death to save or improve lives. Indicate your wishes about organ donation in your healthcare documents and on your driver's license or state ID. Discuss your wishes with your family members, as they will be consulted about donation at the time of death even if you have indicated your wishes in documents.