A Lawyer has a limited role in the preparation of an Advanced Health Directive. While we can guide you through the process and advise you on the purpose of an Advanced Health Directive, it is a document which is largely completed by you (as the principal) and your general practitioner (doctor). Therefore you need to be prepared to involve your general practitioner in this process.
An Advanced Health Directive gives you the opportunity to state your wishes and directions regarding your future health care for various medical conditions or events. Your general practitioner has to go through those possible medical conditions or events and discuss your decisions with you so that you are aware of the risks of your directions.
An Advanced Health Directive only comes into effect when you are unable to make decisions yourself. Until then, you are able to direct people about your health care and don’t need a document to rely on.
Think about if you lose consciousness or cannot communicate your wishes – who would make the decisions for you? How would they make the decisions? Would they make the decisions you would want them to? This is why you make an Advanced Health Directive. It makes your wishes known before the circumstances happen.
In our experience, people who are terminally ill make an Advanced Health Directive. It gives them some control and dignity over their circumstances.
Donnie Harris is an Accredited Specialist in Business Law (Qld) and has experience in delivering quality legal services to business owners throughout Queensland.
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