Mental Health America of Virginia The voice of reason in mental health advocacy

Screen 15: Introduction to Medical Directives

In a Medical directive, you can put your wishes about treatment in writing. You can do this in addition to having an agent in a Power of Attorney or you can have a Medical Directive without a Power of Attorney. Your Medical Directive can cover treatments for psychiatric care as well as treatments for physical conditions. This is the place where you can tell your agent, family, friends and doctors what works for you and what doesn't. You can tell them how and where you would like to treated and how and where you would rather not be treated. These preferences will be very important if you are ever unable to communicate your wishes because of illness or injury. There may be some questions that do not apply to you or you may not have any strong feelings about them. If so, you can skip those questions and that issue will not be included in your Medical Directive.

It is important that you understand that just because you list a preference does not mean that it will always be honored. For example, if you state that you wish to be treated at Hospital A and never at Hospital B, you may still go to Hospital B if you need hospitalization and Hospital B has the only available bed or Hospital B is the only hospital that can treat your specific condition. Health care providers do not have to provide any treatment that is not medically or ethically appropriate, but they do have to try to transfer you to another doctor who is willing to provide the treatment you prefer. Your requests may not be followed in an emergency situation. If you are in danger yourself or if your illness might endanger someone else, a health care provider may respond to the emergency in a way that is not one of your choices listed in your Medical Directive.

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