Advance medical directives are a way of expressing one’s wishes in anticipation of one’s incapacity to consent to care. They consist of a written document that specifies, in advance, the medical care they agree to or refuse should they become incapable of giving consent to care in specific clinical situations specified by the law.
Advance medical directives have the same legal value as wishes expressed by a person capable of giving consent to care; a representative’s consent is therefore not required. Healthcare professionals who encounter advance medical directives have an obligation to respect them.
Advance medical directives however, cannot be used to request medical aid in dying.
Who are these services aimed at?
Any person of legal age and capable of consenting to care can make use of this service.