June 15, 2022

There are many things to know about setting up a healthcare directive. This blog focuses on four important things to know about a health care directive in Washington State.

1. Who Can Witness A Health Care Directive?

First, the State of Washington requires that each health care directive be signed by two people, and there is a list of those who cannot sign a health care directive. Those people cannot be:

  • Underaged children – Each signer must be over 18 years of age.
  • Your Spouse – Your husband or wife may not sign your health care directive.
  • Your children or relatives – Family members cannot be signers
  • Your Doctor – Your medical doctor is not permitted to sign health care directives, nor is any employee of your doctor or a healthcare facility where you are admitted.
  • Beneficiaries – nobody who will receive any portion of your estate once you have passed is permitted to sign your health care directive. Nor anyone who has a claim against you or your estate.

It may seem that these people are the very ones who you would want to be informed about and made part of your health care directive, but in Washington, they are not permitted. Nobody with any potential to gain from your death is permitted to sign your health care directive. Washington wants signers who are not influenced or may benefit from your death to be responsible for signing a health care directive.

2. They Help you to Speak for Yourself when You Physically Cannot

A health care directive provides a set of instructions that inform your doctor about what you want to do should you need artificial life support during an illness or emergency. The health care directive supersedes the wishes of the family and allows for tough decisions to be made when they may not be able to make those decisions for you. A healthcare directive keeps your voice active.

3. Place the Burden of Life-Saving Measures On You

It can be difficult for a spouse or a child to decide on ending life-sustaining measures for a parent or another adult, especially for one who is a close relative. An advanced directive helps you remove the guilt by retaining the burden of making those decisions. These are powerful legal documents that make your wishes known and they help the decision of how to proceed with you.

Call The Law Offices of Dan Kellogg For More Health Care Directive Information!

Is a health care directive the correct legal tool to help you manage the quality of your medical life? Find out more by talking about your concerns and needs with Dan Kellogg. Contact his experienced team today and put his extensive experience to work for you so that your voice can remain strong even when you can no longer can.