I’ve spent almost a week on and off filing in an advanced care directive what a job ,it’s not essential However if you ever go to a different doctor for any reason other than a dentist they will ask if you have a ACD lodged on my health care. ( Medicare ) I was chatting to a senior paramedic last Monday ( she witnessed our ACD for us ) and she advised us to have a sealed copy on or near the fridge as the first thing one of the paramedics will do is look for ACD especially if a person lives alone and is unable to speak due to a stroke / or unconscious. I don’t live alone but we still felt it’s a good idea to state our preference on our future health care/ preference or refusal of treatment and or appointing person(S) to speak on your behalf in your unable to.
Humana insurance offered a program called “My Directives”, and it comes with an app. I think you can use the app without having to have Humana. It keeps a record on your computer, as well as you can name a person to be responsible if you are unable to make a decision (in a coma, etc). It was pretty easy to fill out, and now I feel more comfortable knowing that I have at least made some arrangements if something happens and I am unable to do so.
Every time I see a doctor I walk out with the forms. I've yet to complete them. I also have a note to go to a local funeral home and make arrangements so that no one else is stuck with having to do so. So I got forms and notes, but no motivation.
Another reason is We don’t have family that lives close by cause my of my family is interstate 500+ km away , same story for hubby . We are advised to lodge our papers on My Heath care ,keep a PDF copy on computer as well as a printed copy which is in-the small cupboard above the fridge ,……hubs cut the top off one of the forms which is a very similar colour to the ‘post” button on threads Blue in my case … he’s going to get it laminated and stick it on the cupboard door indicting our papers are stored in there along with our lawyers info who will organise our funerals or any other thing that needs attending to if we are discovered deceased ..or have a serious accident where we are both unable to speak / killed Our neighbours are more like family so they always have a key to our home .,they are 10 years younger than us so hopefully if we ever need them they will be around long after we’ve fallen off the perch We could have had our lawyer do it at $180 each but we choose to do it ourselves This is what the South Australian.. ( there must be seperate forums for different states ) forms look like ,they can be hand written / or completed online then printed out https://advancecaredirectives.sa.gov.au/forms-and-guides/forms-and-guides-new