Advance directives ensure our wishes are met in case of illness

A husband and wife sit and their kitchen table and look at a tablet.

Whenever we plan, we make assumptions about the future. When we choose between a short-sleeve shirt and a heavy coat, planning is required—deciding what to wear based on what the weather forecast tells us. When we make a purchase—anything from food to furniture—we are thinking about how we might use it later. When we invest, we are building a nest egg that we will spend in our retirement.

We can plan even for things we don’t expect. Things like serious illness.

Have you spoken to your doctors, caregivers or family about the kind of care you want in the event of a healthcare emergency or advanced illness? If you are unable to speak for yourself, who will speak for you, and how will they know what you want?

While many people say it’s important to put their wishes in writing, only 37% have actually done it, according to an analysis by the journal Health Affairs.¹

You might have heard of living wills, in which you spell out in advance the kind of treatment you wish to receive in the event you lose the ability to communicate. The MyDirectives® tool takes this concept a step further, so that not only are your wishes concerning the care you receive made known, but the people you trust to speak for you are identified as well.

With MyDirectives, an advance care planning tool you have access to through your Humana plan, you can make your exact wishes known, as well as the kinds of things you value most in your life—even what kind of music you like. And you can say all of this in your own words—or, if you prefer, choose from a selection of common answers to important questions. Best of all, if you ever change your mind, you can easily change your answers.

Hospitals and other healthcare providers can link to MyDirectives and, with your approval, will be able to access your care plan when you are admitted so there’s never any question about what you want.

Create your advance care plan

Sources:

“Approximately One In Three US Adults Completes Any Type Of Advance Directive For End-Of-Life Care,” Health Affairs, last accessed August 5, 2019, https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/abs/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0175, opens new window

Advance directives ensure our wishes are met in case of illness

Sources:

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