An Advance Health Directive (AHD) allows you to make treatment decisions now that would apply in future should you be unable to communicate your consent/refusal to such treatment at the time. A common directive is that some people do not wish to receive treatment to prolong their life in the event they are unlikely to recover and have a reasonable quality of life in future. Another is that a person may be willing to receive pain relief even if it hastens their death. 

What treatment decisions should be considered in an AHD?

It is a good idea to discuss any treatment decisions with your doctor prior to preparing the AHD. Common treatment decisions include:

• Blood transfusion

• Artificial ventilation

• Artificial nutrition and hydration

• Blood products

• Chemotherapy

• Dialysis

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

• Intravenous fluids or drugs

• Intensive care

• Intubation

• Palliative care

• Pain relief

• Antibiotics

• Lifesaving surgery

• Life-sustaining measures