Choose a decision maker wisely. You may choose your spouse, or your children, but it doesn’t have to be either. You could choose a friend or neighbor. Think about the people that mean the most to you. Who would you trust to:
• Make your wishes heard?
• Follow your wishes – whether or not they agree with them?
• Make sure that you get the care that you want, in the place that you want and have the people that are important to you by your side?
If you do not choose a decision maker and you become unable to make your own decisions, a decision maker will be chosen for you in an order determined by Pennsylvania law. In some cases this would have been the person you would have chosen anyway; however at other times, it may not be the person who knows you or your values best, and they may not know what your decisions would have been. In other words, the best person to make your health care decisions may not be the person that the Pennsylvania Law would appoint. So take the time to name a health care decision maker. Ask them if they would be willing to do this for you, and tell them your wishes.
(Donald D. Wolff Jr., Center for Quality, Safety, and Innovation at UPMC)
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