Advance Medical Directive
An Advance Medical Directive allows you to state what you want for your own medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. You can:
- Direct that a specific procedure or treatment be provided, such as
artificially administered hydration (fluids) or nutrition (feeding);
- Direct that a specific procedure or treatment be withheld; or
- Appoint a person to act as your agent in making health care
decisions for you, if it is determined that you are unable to make
health care decisions for yourself. This includes the decision
to make anatomical gifts of a specific part or parts of your body via
organ and tissue donation, or of all of your body.
If you appoint a person to be your agent in an Advance Medical Directive, that person has decision-making priority over any other individuals who, could, by law, make health care decisions for you. For more information, visit the Code of Virginia portion of the Virginia General Assembly Home Page, and type in "54.1-2984" in the "Enter search phrase and click submit" box. You will get a page of search results, and clicking on "§ 54.1-2984" will display the text in that Code Section.
The Code of Virginia also contains the "suggested" text that can be used for an Advance Medical Directive form (.pdf) in Virginia. Advance Medical Directive forms can be completed without the assistance of a lawyer, but you may want to consult one to ensure that you have completed it correctly.
You may also find the information on our Personal Planning web page helpful. If you need more information or assistance, contact us.
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