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Advance Directives

Georgia Advance Directive For Healthcare

If you have an advance directive or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare (power of attorney), bring a copy with you to the hospital so it can be added to your medical record. These documents are written in advance of a serious illness or injury and communicate your wishes for treatment if you become unable to speak for yourself.

The advance directive relates to specific medical interventions and treatments you desire should a life-threatening occurrence affect your physical and/or mental capacity. The power of attorney lets you name a person to make healthcare decisions for you should you ever become unable to make them for yourself.

Both of the documents may be changed as your options for healthcare evolve. Please be aware that advance directives may vary from state to state. For more information, please have your nurse call the chaplain on duty. Talking about death and illness is never easy, but we urge you to talk about advance directives with your spouse, your family and your healthcare team while you are healthy.

Form Downloads

In this section, you'll find advance directive forms available in multiple languages, making them easier to access and complete in the language you’re most comfortable with.
Advance Directive for Healthcare - English

Form in Additional Languages

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding and Completing Your Advance Directive

 

Here, you'll find answers to common questions about advance directives, including their purpose, how to complete them, and who should have a copy. Understanding these documents can help ensure your healthcare wishes are respected. If you need further assistance, our team is here to help.

  • If there is ever a time when you are unable to make decisions about your own healthcare, but decisions need to be made, the care team will look for guidance from what you have said or written about your healthcare choices in the past and from your family or friends who may act as surrogate decision makers.

    One of the best ways to make sure that your values and preferences are known to the care team and your loved ones is by completing a document called the Georgia Advance Directive for Healthcare.

  • If you no longer have the ability to make necessary and timely decisions about your own healthcare, the care team will look to your family members or friends to speak on your behalf.

    In particular, Georgia sets forth a hierarchy of people who can make certain healthcare decisions for you - starting with your legal spouse and going through adult children, parents, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, and close friends.

    In order to make sure the person who makes decisions for you is in fact the person that you most trust with that responsibility, you should complete an advance directive and list them as your healthcare agent.

  • Designate a Healthcare Agent

    Through this document you can legally designate someone to be your healthcare agent, allowing that person to step in and make important medical decisions on your behalf during a time when you are unable to communicate them yourself.  You can also list backup agents in case the first person is unavailable. Your healthcare agent is responsible for making decisions according to your known preferences and values, or if those are not known then they are to make decisions that they believe are in your best interest.

    Document your Treatment Preferences 

    Another key part of the advance directive includes opportunities to document some of your treatment preferences if you are ever in specific medical conditions.  It allows you to clarify some of the key medical interventions you may want, or not want, depending on the circumstances. This provides guidance to your medical team as well as your healthcare agent so that they can work together in determining how best to care for you.

  • You do not need to complete all of the sections in order for the advance directive to be legally valid; for example, you may prefer to only designate a healthcare agent and not complete the section about treatment preferences. 

    This is completely fine, and as long as the signatures at the end of the form are completed appropriately, your document could be valid.

    • Once you have completed the portions of the document that you want, make sure the signature and witnesses page is completed according to the directions.
    • Make copies of your completed advance directive and give it to anyone who may need it in an emergency, such as the person you named as your healthcare agent, your backup agents, and other close family members or friends.
    • Provide a copy to your medical care providers and double-check later that a copy is available to them in your medical records.
    • Talk to your loved ones and your care providers about your advance directive and consider explaining some of the preferences that you wrote in the document. This can help them better understand the meaning behind your selections and help ensure future decisions are more aligned with your values.
    • You may wish to keep a digital copy online for easy access by you, your agent, or your care team. Some people keep a copy in their email account, cloud storage, or digital photo album.
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