What are"Advance Directives?"
Do you have a plan? If you are unable to speak for yourself and cannot respond to a physician’s care, what is your plan? To make sure you get the correct care when you are unable to respond, there are two documents that every person should have that states what care you would like if you are unresponsive (Living Will) and who is going to be your orator/decision maker when you are unresponsive (Health Care Surrogate).
LIVING WILL
A living will accepts or rejects medical treatments under certain medical conditions. Under Florida law, a Living Will must be signed by you in the presence of two witnesses, at least one is neither your spouse nor a blood relative. Florida will recognize a Living Will which you have signed in another state if that Living Will was signed in compliance with the laws of that state or was signed in compliance with the laws of Florida.
HEALTH CARE SURROGATE
Any competent adult may also designate authority to a Health Care Surrogate to make all health care decisions during any period you are unable to speak for yourself. While you are unresponsive, the Health Care Surrogate has the duty to consult with appropriate health care providers to provide informed consent and make only health care decisions for you which he or she believes you would have made under the circumstances if you were capable of making such decisions. If there is no indication of what you would have chosen, the surrogate may consider your best interest in deciding on a course of treatment.
Additional Resources