Page 57 - issue
P. 57
Living Life
loved ones wonder if they made the right decision or did all they Accelerating the Pace of Change ©WWW
could. And it allows a person’s family to focus instead on what
is most important. Evidence-Based Treatment for Children and Adolescents
Anxiety, Behavior, Depression & Trauma
Part One of a Directive: Naming an Agent Parenting Techniques with Proven Results
No matter how clearly a person’s wishes are thought through
and articulated, it is impossible to anticipate every scenario that Momentumcounseling@outlook.com
may arise. Medical situations rarely fit neatly into specific cat- 443-756-4648
egories. This is why choosing a health care agent – someone
whom you authorize to speak and make medical decisions on Evening and Sunday appointments
your behalf – needs to be done wisely.
The natural choice as a health care agent is a person’s spouse
or child. But, while this is the often the best choice, it is not
always the best choice. The fact is that a health care agent has
great authority. Practically, a medical team is likely to rely most
on the instructions of the health care agent, even when instruc-
tions in a health care directive exist. Unless an agent’s decisions
are unequivocally at odds with a written directive, medical pro-
fessionals are unlikely to question his or her recommendations.
As a result, you must feel confident that the person you
choose as your health care agent understands your wishes and
will carry them out. Ideally, he or she should also be someone
you trust to make sound decisions in a stressful situation. In
addition, because the agent might need to be consulted by the
hospital frequently, he or she needs to be reasonably available
on a regular basis. Although a spouse or child often fits this
description, in some cases, someone else might be better suited.
Sometimes, a relative who is not in the immediate family will
be under less pressure and be better able to make a clear-headed
decision. Occasionally, people choose an attorney or someone
else removed from the family. In any case, it is a good idea for
the directive to state that the agent has the authority to act only
within the guidelines of halacha, as determined by the rabbi (see
next section).
Whomever you choose, make sure your agent knows about
your directive and agrees to serve in this role. It is certainly a
good idea to have a conversation with the agent and tell him or
her about your priorities and the general approach you would
like to take, as guided by the rav. Lastly, make sure he or she has
a copy of your directive.
Part Two of a Directive: Naming a Rabbi
An important component of the halachic directive is that it
names a rabbi, who must be consulted on all important deci-
sions, including questions concerning starting and stopping
treatments. Ideally, the language of the directive should state
clearly that the rabbi’s halachic decision supersedes any oth-
er, including that of the agent or medical staff. (Different ver-
sions of the directive have different approaches to this.) In oth-
er words, it binds everyone to the halachic guidelines set by
the rav. When the rav says there is room for choice, the agent
makes the decision most in keeping with the patient’s wishes;
u 410 358 8509 u 49
loved ones wonder if they made the right decision or did all they Accelerating the Pace of Change ©WWW
could. And it allows a person’s family to focus instead on what
is most important. Evidence-Based Treatment for Children and Adolescents
Anxiety, Behavior, Depression & Trauma
Part One of a Directive: Naming an Agent Parenting Techniques with Proven Results
No matter how clearly a person’s wishes are thought through
and articulated, it is impossible to anticipate every scenario that Momentumcounseling@outlook.com
may arise. Medical situations rarely fit neatly into specific cat- 443-756-4648
egories. This is why choosing a health care agent – someone
whom you authorize to speak and make medical decisions on Evening and Sunday appointments
your behalf – needs to be done wisely.
The natural choice as a health care agent is a person’s spouse
or child. But, while this is the often the best choice, it is not
always the best choice. The fact is that a health care agent has
great authority. Practically, a medical team is likely to rely most
on the instructions of the health care agent, even when instruc-
tions in a health care directive exist. Unless an agent’s decisions
are unequivocally at odds with a written directive, medical pro-
fessionals are unlikely to question his or her recommendations.
As a result, you must feel confident that the person you
choose as your health care agent understands your wishes and
will carry them out. Ideally, he or she should also be someone
you trust to make sound decisions in a stressful situation. In
addition, because the agent might need to be consulted by the
hospital frequently, he or she needs to be reasonably available
on a regular basis. Although a spouse or child often fits this
description, in some cases, someone else might be better suited.
Sometimes, a relative who is not in the immediate family will
be under less pressure and be better able to make a clear-headed
decision. Occasionally, people choose an attorney or someone
else removed from the family. In any case, it is a good idea for
the directive to state that the agent has the authority to act only
within the guidelines of halacha, as determined by the rabbi (see
next section).
Whomever you choose, make sure your agent knows about
your directive and agrees to serve in this role. It is certainly a
good idea to have a conversation with the agent and tell him or
her about your priorities and the general approach you would
like to take, as guided by the rav. Lastly, make sure he or she has
a copy of your directive.
Part Two of a Directive: Naming a Rabbi
An important component of the halachic directive is that it
names a rabbi, who must be consulted on all important deci-
sions, including questions concerning starting and stopping
treatments. Ideally, the language of the directive should state
clearly that the rabbi’s halachic decision supersedes any oth-
er, including that of the agent or medical staff. (Different ver-
sions of the directive have different approaches to this.) In oth-
er words, it binds everyone to the halachic guidelines set by
the rav. When the rav says there is room for choice, the agent
makes the decision most in keeping with the patient’s wishes;
u 410 358 8509 u 49
