Arizona Advance Medical Directives: What They Are and Why You Need Them

ARIZONA ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES

What They Are andWhy You Need Them

WHAT IS A MEDICAL DIRECTIVE?

A MEDICAL DIRECTIVE IS A

DOCUMENT PEOPLE CAN PREPARE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO

MAKE MEDICAL CHOICES WHEN THEY ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO COMMUNICATE

SOMETIMES KNOWN AS ADVANCE DIRECTIVES OR ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES, THESE LEGAL DOCUMENTS GIVE YOU THE OPTION TO

PLAN AHEAD FOR EMERGENCIES

MAKING AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE IS ENTIRELY

YOUR CHOICEAND YOU ARE NEVER REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE

WHAT MAKES THEM ADVANCED?

ADVANCE OR ADVANCED? A LOT OF PEOPLE COMMONLY CALL THESE DOCUMENTS “ADVANCED” DIRECTIVES

ADVANCE OR ADVANCED? A LOT OF PEOPLE COMMONLY CALL THESE DOCUMENTS “ADVANCED” DIRECTIVES

YOU MAKE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES BEFORE YOU NEED THEM. (YOU MAKE THEM IN ADVANCE.)

ADVANCE OR ADVANCED? A LOT OF PEOPLE COMMONLY CALL THESE DOCUMENTS “ADVANCED” DIRECTIVES.

YOU MAKE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES BEFORE YOU NEED THEM. (YOU MAKE THEM IN ADVANCE.)

THE TERM “ADVANCED DIRECTIVE”

IS REALLY A MISNOMER

THERE IS NOTHING PARTICULARLY

COMPLICATED OR DIFFICULT ABOUT THESE TYPES OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS

2 MAIN TYPES

IN ARIZONA THERE ARE

TWO MAIN TYPES OF ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

A LIVING WILL

LIVING WILLS ARE DOCUMENTS IN WHICH PEOPLE STATE THEIR PREFERENCES FOR MEDICAL CARE

SHOULD YOU BECOME INCAPACITATED OR UNABLE TO TALK TO YOUR

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERSYOUR LIVING WILL GUIDES THEM AS THEY DECIDE WHAT TREATMENTS TO

GIVE YOU

REQUIREMENTS

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A LIVING WILL IN ARIZONA YOU WILL HAVE TO ENSURE THAT YOUR

DOCUMENT COMPLIES WITH

SPECIFIC LEGAL STANDARDS

WRITING

SIGNATURE

WITNESS OR NOTARY

WRITING

YOU CAN ONLY MAKE A LEGAL LIVING WILL IN WRITING

SIGNATURE

YOU HAVE TO SIGN AND DATE YOUR LIVING WILL YOURSELF

IF YOU CAN’T PHYSICALLY SIGN THE DOCUMENT YOU CAN HAVE SOMEONE ELSE SIGN IT FOR YOU

AT YOUR DIRECTION IN THE PRESENCE OF A WITNESS

THAT WITNESS MUST THEN SIGN AND DATE THE DOCUMENT AS WELL

WITNESS OR NOTARY

A WITNESS MUST SIGN YOUR LIVING WILL AFTER WITNESSING YOU SIGN THE DOCUMENT

ALTERNATELY YOU CAN HAVE THE DOCUMENT NOTARIZED BY A LICENSED ARIZONA PUBLIC

NOTARY

CHOICES

YOUR LIVING WILL ALLOWS YOU TO STATE YOUR PREFERENCES ABOUT ANY KIND OF MEDICAL

CARE YOU MIGHT RECEIVE IF YOU ARE INCAPACITATED, BUT TYPICALLY ADDRESSES THE

FOLLOWING POSSIBILITIES:

CPRArtificially

administered nutrition

Only receiving comfort care if

suffering from a terminal illness

Prolonging life as long as possible

DURABLE HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY

YOU CAN ALSO CREATE A MEDICAL DIRECTIVE THAT ALLOWS SOMEONE ELSE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR YOU

IN ARIZONA THIS TYPE OF DIRECTIVE IS CALLED A DURABLE HEALTH CARE POWER OF ATTORNEY

THROUGH YOUR POWER OF ATTORNEY

YOU APPOINT AN AGENT WHO WILL STAND IN FOR YOU AND COMMUNICATE MEDICAL CHOICES TO YOUR DOCTOR OR OTHER

HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS

REQUIREMENTS

DURABLE HEALTH CARE POWERS OF ATTORNEY (POA) HAVE THE SAME BASIC REQUIREMENTS AS

LIVING WILLS

MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE TO CREATE BOTH DOCUMENTS AT THE SAME TIME

In writing

Signed by the principal (the person

making the POA)

Signed by witness or Notary

CHOICES

YOUR POWER OF ATTORNEY GIVES SOMEONE ELSE, CALLED YOUR AGENT, THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE MEDICAL CARE ON YOUR BEHALF

YOU CAN LIMIT THIS POWER OR GIVE THE AGENT ALL MEDICAL DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY

•You have to say whom your choice of agent is in the document. You can select alternates as well.

AGENT

•If you want to limit your agent’s power you can list the decisions the agent is specifically not allowed to make.

PROHIBITIONS

•You can indicate if you do or do not consent to an autopsy, wish to donate your organs, or allow your agent to make the choice for you.

CHOICES

NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF ADVANCE DIRECTIVE YOU MAKE, YOU MUST BE AN ADULT OF SOUND

MIND IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT

ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVES IN ARIZONA?

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ADVANCE

MEDICAL DIRECTIVES IN ARIZONA?

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