Essay On Health Care Directive

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Health Care Directive A health care directive is a legal document, based on personal values and beliefs, providing people with a sense of control and independence for their medical care. The purpose of a health care directive is to allow personal wishes on various treatments options to be met, when the individual is presented incapable. Since it is a legal document, health care professionals and family members have to abide with individual’s health care directive. Personally I value autonomy, independence, family, dignity, and selflessness. These core personal values allow me to reflect, fully comprehend and accept the consequences to the health care decisions I make for myself. In conclusion, the sections of the health care directive …show more content…

This provides people with control over their health care when they cannot speak for themselves. In other words, a health care directive is a legal document recognized by a legislative body to promote autonomy (The Health Care Directives Act, 1992). Autonomy is described as the quality to function independently (Mosby, 2013). Autonomy is the fundamental concept of health care directives, it allows people to openly express their personal values and beliefs, without judgement of health care decisions, “…autonomous decisions as those made intentionally and with substantial understanding and freedom from controlling influences” (Entwistle, Carter, Cribb, & McCaffery, 2010). When all information is provided, the individual can make an informed decision about their health care and have a right to no influencing factors. The health care directive document provide people the opportunity to consent to or refuse treatment and who will have the authority to make decisions on the individual’s behalf if unconscious, or mental incapacity arise (The Health Care Directives Act, 1992). In order to fully practice autonomy, especially in regards to health care directives, the appropriate mental development is key to comprehending …show more content…

2). Legal aspects of the document includes the maker having capacity and the document must be written, dated, and signed by the maker, or in the presence of the maker (acknowledging the person signing and the witness is not a proxy or a proxy’s spouse in the directive) (The Health Care Directives Act, 1992). The Health Care Directives Act (1992) of Manitoba, explain mental capacity and an age of at least 16 years is important to make health care decisions and is necessary for establishing a health care

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