State Bar of Wisconsin

Bullet points for writing a guest editorial

A practitioner might write an article about the need for advance directives based on the perspective of the following persons:

• The injured 40-year-old bicyclist who is unconscious
• His mother
• His live-in partner of 10 years
• His 20 year-old-son
• The physician recommending a procedure
• The social worker
• The lawyer who is faced with obtaining an emergency temporary guardianship before treatment can be given or denied

Explain what the advance directive does and does not do pursuant to the statutes.

Focus on the range of people who need advance directives.

• The adult who is in a catastrophic accident
• The adult who undergoes surgery and something unexpected happens or is found
• The elderly person whose cognitive abilities deteriorate slowly
• The adult who experiences a serious health crisis that renders him or her unable to make medical decisions

Highlight questions to discuss with the proposed health care agent:

• Discuss the range of catastrophes that can happen and the level of care that the principal would want the agent to advocate
• Discuss how important independence or self-sufficiency is to the principal
• Discuss the role personal faith plays in the principal's life
• Discuss if the principal would want to make provisions for organ or tissue donation
• Discuss sensitive dates in the principal's family that might affect when life support would be discontinued, such as a child's birthday
• Discuss whether the agent is capable of doing what the principal is requesting
• Discuss whether the agent will be able to advocate in the face of strong opinions or beliefs by one or more of the healthcare providers or family members if it is contrary to the principal's directive

Discuss what happens when there is not an advanced directive. Discuss temporary guardianship and permanent guardianship, the process, the cost, the delay, the additional stress on the person's loved ones because they cannot act quickly and they may not have had these discussions with the person.

Life Planning