NURBN 3020 Arguments On The Importance Of Advance Care Directive - Assignment Solution

Introduction:

Advance Care Derivative (ACD) is a binding document which states an individual’s wishes about the course of medication, either it consists of long life treatments or just letting the person die in peace. The person chooses a health care provider who will act as a proxy and will take decision on behalf of the patient (Robinson, White & Segal, 2019). There are two key kinds of this agreement:

• Living Will: this is also a legal agreement that entails guidelines concerning medication and treatment. This document will help the patients guarantee that their wishes would be respected.
• Medical Power of Attorney: the person who will be taking decisions on behalf of the patient when he isn’t able to take their own decisions due to illness or diseases. They are the “health care agents”.

Source: (Mizzi, 2017).

In many countries advance care planning also includes Physician orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST), it is a document for those who have already been diagnosed with a severe disease. This agreement is filled out by the doctor based on the previous directives and the patient will get the treatment they prefer. This document is with the patient and is prominently placed beside the patient where it can be seen by the health care team in case of an emergency (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2018).

This debate will consist of two arguments in the section 2 of the debate that is the main body, the arguments will be then analyzed in section 3 of this debate that is the analysis of the established arguments and lastly in the conclusion the summary of the debate would be explained.

Arguments:

In Favour of ACD:

There are numerous reasons that why ACD should be followed in every country if possible. The Australian government has introduced a policy regarding ACD; Advance Planning for Quality Care at the End of life: Action Plan 2013-2018, that has a goal to spread awareness about ACD and to make it easy for those who wants to follow it. This approach has six guidelines:

1. A patient can choose a health care agent who will take decisions about the treatment on behalf of the patient when they are unable to do it.
2. The patient’s desires and wishes should be recorded and documented by the agents.
3. The patients should get treatment or care according to their preferences.
4. The patient’s wishes about their resting place and where they want to die should be valued.
5. The patient’s family and agents should have a clear understanding of their wishes as it will lessen the burden.
6. The professionals should provide the dying patients with best care and they should be prepared for the death of the patient as it is an expected part of the planning.

Source: (Roth, 2014).

The patients who wishes to have ACD agreement either are the ones who have already seen someone close suffering from an illness, is in excruciating and just want to die or just want to safeguard themselves in the near future so that their wishes should be respected and they are not a burden on anyone. 

In Against:

There are many ways why people are against ACD, the reasons might be religious or they want to do everything possible which can save a person’s life. Many individuals choose to have ACD agreement but they don’t know that they might not need in the near future or the guidelines which are stated in the agreement might not be applicable in the situation.