What Happens to Your Old Advance Directive After You Create a New One?
Creating a new advance directive can feel like the end of the process. You reviewed your wishes, made the changes you wanted, signed the new document, and now have an updated plan. There is still one important step left. What happens to all the copies of your old advance directive? An outdated copy may still […]
Your Advance Directive Is Safe. Is It Accessible?
An advance directive is an important legal document, so keeping it somewhere safe makes sense. You want it protected from loss, damage, or access by people who shouldn’t have it. At the same time, an advance directive is a document that someone else may need when you can’t retrieve it yourself. That makes accessibility part […]
The Patient Self-Determination Act: Understanding Your Advance Directive Rights
If you have ever been admitted to a hospital and been asked whether you have an advance directive, there is a reason that question comes up. The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA) is a federal law that requires certain healthcare organizations participating in Medicare or Medicaid to inform adult patients about their healthcare decision-making rights. The […]