Question

There are four types of advance directives listed in your text. Please list and describe them. Identify the type of advance directive Terri Schiavo could have used to avoid the legal battles surrounding the end of her life.

Answer 1

The four types of advance directives are

• DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) :It is a directive where patient will not be resuscitated when the heart stops beating such as no aggressive treatments like CPR
• Living will is an directive where the patient has given their wish to survive when they are not able to make any decision ,mentally not sound or critically ill by using the feeding tubes ,artificial life supports like ventilator ,etc.,They even has give consent to donate their organs after their death
• Power of attorney Medical :Here the patient has already given permission for one person to take decision for them when they are not physically or mentally fit or in a state of unconsciousness. In simple the trusted appointed person takes decision for the patient.
• Physician order for life sustaining treatment :Here the decision made by a patient on the medical treatment is signed by a health care provider.

Here Terri Schiavo could have made the advance directive like a living will and Medical power of attorney. Both stating her wish to prolong life with supportive devices also Medical power of attorney gives right to a person to make a firm and best possible decision on behalf of a patients .Doing this could have avoide many legal battles which surrounded her end of life.