I obtained the advance directive form from the state of California Department of Justice website. The advance directive form obtained from the Department of Justice website complied with the California State law in that it was readily available and also provided the option for patients to utilize different forms where necessary. By virtue of being readily available, the form was therefore easy for any member of the public to access and fill while also providing clear instructions on how the form should be filled (State of California Department of Justice, 2020).
Conduct research (1-2 sources) to learn more about the AD in your state and explain how it works.
In California, the advance healthcare directive provides instructions related to an individual’s health care. An individual can directly provide distractions related to their health care or appoint someone else to make healthcare decisions for them. Through the advanced directive, an individual can also express their wishes related to organ donation and the role that the primary care physician can play in their health. In California, individuals are also allowed to either modify a part of the whole of the advance directive form (Carr & Luth, 2017).
The first part of the advance healthcare directive form in California allows an individual to name another person as the main agent of their healthcare decisions in the instance that such individuals become incapable of making such decisions or if the given individual is capable of making their healthcare decisions but want someone else to make the decisions for them (Peicius et al., 2017). The California advance directive form also allows individuals to name an alternate agent that helps them in making their healthcare decisions if their first choice is not available or not willing to make healthcare decisions. In California, individuals are prohibited from appointing employees of community care facilities, healthcare operators, and health care providers in residential care facilities where they are receiving care or employees of any healthcare institutions as their agents unless such individuals are relatives or coworkers (Peicius et al., 2017).
In California, the agent nominated in the advance directive form possesses all the authority to make all healthcare decisions for a specific individual. However, the individual nominating an agent to make healthcare decisions for them can limit the authority of the nominated agents. Generally, individuals who nominate agents to make healthcare decisions for them are advised not to limit their authority if they wish to rely on such agents to make healthcare decisions for them in the future (Peicius et al., 2017). In California, agents that exercise full authority to make health care decisions for an individual normally have the right to select or discharge institutions or health care providers of a concerned individual, refuse to consent or consent to a given treatment, care procedure, or service that can affect the physical or mental health condition of the concerned individual. In California, a nominated agent also has the authority to disapprove or approve surgical procedures, diagnostic tests, and programs of medication for the concerned patient who nominated them. A nominated agent in California can also direct various proceedings related to the withdrawal or withholding of artificial nutrition, hydration, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Finally, a nominated agent in California can make decisions related to the donation of tissues, parts, and organs, authorize an autopsy, and be involved in directing how the remains of an individual will be disposed of (Carr & Luth, 2017).
The advanced directive form in California also provides an individual with an opportunity to provide specific instructions on various aspects of their healthcare, such as whether to appoint an agent or not. An individual is also provided with an opportunity to express their wishes related to withdrawal withholding or provision of treatments that can extend their life or relieve pain. Individuals are also provided with space to provide additional wishes related to their care in the instance that they would not be in a condition to make their own decision (Carr & Luth, 2017). Individuals who are satisfied with the ability of the agents to make healthcare decisions for them, including end-of-life decisions, are not required to fill the second part of the advance directive formed in California.
The third part of the advance directive form in California allows an individual to express their intention of whether to donate any organs, tissues, or other body parts following their death. The fourth part of the California advance directive form allows an individual to designate physicians as the ones with the primary responsibility of one’
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