How to fill out the Final Exodus quality-of-life advance directive
(living will with durable power of attorney for health care)
There are only three requirements for an effective Advance Health Care Directive in most states. It must be :
Otherwise, you can put down what you want. For requirements in various states see Finalization.
In California and some other states, there is a special pink form called a Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) which your physician signs. People often put the POLST on their refrigerator where medics can see it. If one has a fully executed DNR or POLST order one can buy wearable jewelry from state-approved vendors.
For page 2 instructions of the form, press “page 2” tab, above.
This page is the heart of your directive. It is in four parts:
AUTHORITY OF MY AGENT. Technically this is a durable power of attorney for health care. This meets the legal requirement for your agent to speak for you when you can’t speak for yourself. The authority is very broad.
INSTRUCTIONS TO MY AGENT. It says you’ve discussed your wishes with your Agent and ideally have translated these discussions into a Letter to your Agent. It makes clear that the Agent is to do what you would want, not what the Agent would want for herself or himself. The paragraph gives you an option; you may authorize your Agent to override your wishes as stated in the directive. This issue is really how much do you trust your Agent? And, don’t forget, while you are still able to think for yourself, you can always seek advice from your Agent or from anyone you trust. Indeed, this is often a good idea.
INSTRUCTIONS TO MY AGENT AND TO MY PERSONAL AND ATTENDING PHYSICIANS.
Because you have lost your mental capacity to make decisions yourself, here is where you direct both your agent and your physicians as to what you expect of them. The first paragraph makes it clear that physicians’ obligation to save life must be subordinate to your desires, which may be to shorten your life.
MY DIRECTIVES. There are five choices you may select by initialing. The choices are based on the quality of life you wish and not on a particular medical procedure. They are built around the concept that, for the days or months you have left, the quality of your life is more important than is living longer or for as long possible. Choices 3 through 5d are progressive and so there should be no gap in these selections as far as you go
The four choices here could move your agent and other caregivers into uncharted waters. Can your agent and family initiate SED? For a discussion of this issue, see Deep Dive. For this reason, the introductory sentence of choice 5, if checked, says choices a through d don’t apply if the agent and caregivers are at criminal risk. If the sentence is not checked and any of a, b, c or d are checked, then your agent and caregivers are at risk in most states, except Nevada.
The 5a – d choices call for SED whenever
For page 3 instructions of the form, press “page 3” tab, above.MY
The MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS, i.e., Living Arrangements, and Conservatonrship/Guradianship and After-Death Wishes, are self-explanatory. And they are unrelated to each other.
In the SIGNATURE section, you date and sign. But, do NOT do so until you are before those who are observing your signature, typically a notary or two witnesses. Just who they may or must be is prescribed by the laws of your state.
Extensive recent medical research clearly indicates that with a good lifestyle you can prevent developing Alzheimer’s disease. What life style changes? (As many as you can do; the more, the better.)
This list is taken from a class on prevention given at the San Diego Community Colleges in the fall of 2022. You can get similar information from this YouTube video: Ten tips to prevent Alzheimer's, Melissa Batchelor. There are others.