What is an advanced directive for healthcare?
An advanced directive for health care used to be called a “living will” in Georgia. The current advanced directive for healthcare in Georgia covers three separate matters and combines them into one document. In summary, an advanced directive for healthcare in Georgia does the following:
It protects your right to refuse medical treatment you do not want or to request treatment you do want, in the event you lose the ability to make decisions yourself. The form contains three parts, any number of which may be filled out, and a fourth signature page that must be filled out for any of the three preceding parts to be effective.
1. Part One: Healthcare Agent. This allows you to choose someone to make healthcare decisions for you when you cannot (or do not want to) make healthcare decisions for yourself. You may also have your healthcare agent make decisions for you after your death with respect to an autopsy, organ donation, body donation, and final disposition of your body.
2. Part Two: Treatment Preferences. This part allows you to state your treatment preferences if you are (1) unable to communicate your treatment preferences, and (2) you either have a terminal condition or are in a state of permanent unconsciousness. This part is optional. If you also have a healthcare agent, then your agent is authorized to make all decisions discussed in Part Two, but will be guided by your written Treatment Preferences as well as the other factors listed in section 4 of Part One.
3. Part Three: Guardianship. This part allows you to nominate a person to be your guardian should one ever be needed.