Ohio Living Wills And Other Advance Directives

In general, an advance directive is a term referring to a person's written and verbal commands and wishes about future medical treatment. It usually takes effect when an individual becomes incapable of speech and rational decision-making. Every state regulates the use of such legally binding instructions in a different way.

Ohio living wills and other advance directives are also standardized under the policies and laws of the state concerning the drafting of the legal documents. Needless to say, these policies are only applicable to Ohio residents.

Aside from living wills, there are several other types of advance directives that are available in the state of Ohio. These legally binding documents include power of attorney for healthcare, organ and/or tissue donation, and the "do-not-resuscitate" (DNR) law.

Living wills and other advance directives give you a chance to express your wishes about medical treatment in case you become unconscious or too ill to speak for yourself. However, for as long as you're able and coherent enough to convey your decisions regarding health care, your advance directives will not take effect. Accordingly, you can refuse or accept any medication and/or procedure in the usual manner.

Both state and federal laws regulate the application of living wills and advance directives. The law of the federation, specifically the Patient Self-Determination Act, commands health care providers that accept Medicare and Medicaid funds to notify patients regarding their rights to carry out advance directives. All of the fifty states, including the District of Columbia, have laws that recognize the use of such legal documents.

Read on to better understand what living wills and other advance directives are all about.

Living Will

It is a form of advance directive in which a person puts his or her health care wishes in writing. The legally binding document will only take effect once the patient becomes incapacitated by a terminal illness or a persistent vegetative condition. However, the attending physicians must first formulate a reliable diagnosis before the contents of the living will could be lawfully implemented.

Power of Attorney

This advance directive allows a patient to appoint somebody to make health care decisions for him or her in the event of a debilitating illness or severe trauma. The power of attorney is different from a living will in the sense that it authorizes an advocate to decide for the patient in situations wherein the ability to communicate is absent.

Organ and/or Tissue Donation

This is a choice given to anyone who wants to donate his or her organ/tissues after passing away. By declaring this decision ahead of time, the dead person's wishes may be executed right away. This relieves the immediate family of the duty to decide for their loved one.

Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) Law

This advance directive provides a person with the option of refusing resuscitation in case of a respiratory or cardiac arrest. By signing up for this program, the patient will be given the choice to pass away devoid of any "heroic measures".

On the other hand, the health care institution will be furnished with lawful means to acknowledge those wishes. If you prefer to kick the bucket in this manner, then you must first register with a medical practitioner and have suitable forms of Do-Not-Resuscitate identification.

You actually have a lot of choices on the subject of health care decision-making. So don’t leave yourself in the dark when it comes to Ohio living wills and other advance directives.