Advance Care Directives
In March 2018 Victoria caught up with other jurisdictions by introducing these. This document sets out a person’s specific wishes and directions as regards medical treatment, to apply if they are very ill or dying and have lost mental capacity. This document is binding on the appointed medical treatment decision-maker and on medical practitioners.
Information inserted in the directive includes a brief description of your major medical problems, what for you would be an unacceptable outcome after medical treatment, the persons you would like involved in discussions about your care, and whether or not you would like to be an organ donor. It contains a section where you can state your specific directions as to medical treatment you agree to have and medical treatment you would refuse.
An Advance Care Directive must be witnessed by a medical practitioner and one other person. As the document is largely of a personal and medical nature, we do not prepare them. Our practice is to explain the general nature of the document and provide a client with the form and the official accompanying instructions; we recommend clients make an appointment to see their doctor, who will help them fill it out and then witness it. We invite clients then to bring the document back to office to place with their Wills.