California Advanced Health Care Directives (AHCD)
By preparing Advance Health Care Directives, our law firm in California will help ensure that your desires for personal decisions about medical care are taken in the event you are unable to make them for yourself. Many people are surprised by how quickly medical decisions must be made in an emergency. Without clear legal instructions, hospitals will often follow default protocols, which may not reflect your personal beliefs or preferences. Establishing a directive now provides certainty and control, giving you confidence that your values will guide your care no matter the circumstances. Our firm works closely with clients to personalize each directive so that it aligns with cultural, spiritual, and family considerations. Contact us today and we will help you create a California Advance Healthcare Directive & Authorization.
What is an Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD)?
An Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) is a vital document for a complete, effective Estate Plan. It is essentially a power of attorney, but for medical decisions. In an Advance Health Care Directive, you appoint a person of your choosing to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make those decisions yourself. You should have one to two back-ups, and these individuals serve in the order in which you have named them. Your chosen agent can communicate with doctors, authorize treatments, decline treatments, and manage hospital transfers. Because life is unpredictable, it is also wise to have alternate agents who can step in if your primary choice is unavailable. An AHCD remains fully customizable, meaning you can update it as relationships or preferences change over time.
Why is an Advance Directive Important?
Planning ahead with an Advanced Health Care Directive can give your caregiver, family members, and loved ones peace of mind when it comes to making decisions about your future health care. An AHCD outlines what is important to you and what is not. Clear written guidance allows your healthcare agent to make decisions confidently and ensures doctors understand your long-term priorities. Additionally, having an AHCD in place can streamline communication with hospitals and care facilities, which often require documented authorization before disclosing medical information.
Myths about Advance Health Care Directives
Myth: Advance Directive means “Do not treat.”
Fact: It can express both the treatment you want and that which you don’t. Even if you don’t want treatment to cure you, you should always be kept reasonably pain free and comfortable.
Myth: Advance directives are only for old people.
Fact: Younger adults have more at stake, because if stricken by disease or accident, medical technology may keep them alive but comatose/insentient for decades. Every person age 18 or over should prepare a directive.
Myth: An Advanced Health Care Directive is a must to stop treatment near the end of life.
Fact: Treatment can be stopped without an advance directive if everyone involved agrees.