05-12-2012, 01:15 PM
(05-12-2012, 12:45 PM)IMaDick Wrote: Bullshit, I can give anyone I want to control over my health care decisions should I not be able to make the decision myself.
I don't know why everyone feels so limited? What the fuck causes that?
This is true. Advanced Medical Directives and Durable Power of Medical Attorneys allow a person to designate anyone of their choosing to be their surrogate decision maker once the person is no longer capable of communicating his/her treatment decisions. These documents supersede state protocols, which usually put the decision making on family members in a certain order. The documents aren't difficult to facilitate, nor expensive. As to why everyone feels so limited, I think that a lot of people just don't want to think about end of life and simply aren't aware of these documents until after they need them (which is too late; the person/patient needs to be alert and capable when they sign the docs).
Note: the only persons who legally can't be designated as surrogate health care decision makers are those professionally participating in the person's care (conflict of interest); no physicians, caregivers, nurses, nursing home management or attendants, etc...