Advance Health Directives

An Advance Health Directive is a document that deals with your future health care. It enables you to:

• give directions about your health care;
• make your wishes known and give health professionals direction about the treatment you want;
• appoint someone you trust to make decisions about health care on your behalf.

To make an Advance Health Directive you must be 18 or older and have capacity to understand the nature and effect of the Advance Health Directive. This means you need to understand:

• the nature and likely effects of each direction in your Advance Health Directive;
• that a direction operates only when you don’t have capacity to make decisions about your health care covered by the direction;
• that you may revoke a direction at any time you have capacity to make a decision for the matter covered by the direction;
• that at any time you don’t have capacity to revoke a direction, you will be unable to effectively oversee the implementation of the direction.

You must also be able to make the Advance Health Directive freely and voluntarily and not due to pressure from someone else.

Before completing or signing an Advance Health Directive you will need to discuss same with your Doctor who will need to sign it in front of a witness.

Now is the best time to make an Advance Health Directive, before any urgent health condition arises. It is particularly important to make one if:

• you are being admitted to hospital;
• your medical condition is likely to affect your ability to make decisions;
• you have a chronic medical condition that could cause serious complications (e.g. diabetes, asthma and heart or kidney disease).

Before making your Advance Health Directive you should read the Form 10 – Advance Health Directive Explanatory Guide and:

• think about your views, wishes and preferences for your future health care;
• talk to your family and friends;
• talk to your doctor as they will have access to your medial history and understand how illnesses may affect you and the possible treatment options and their effects;
• consider appointing someone you trust to be your attorney and make decisions on your behalf.