Advanced Directives

Thinking about end-of-life decisions is hard for everyone, including those diagnosed with Parkinson's. The reality is that any one of us could need medical treatment due to a traumatic event or injury, and letting others know how we want to be cared for is very important. Sometimes, when we get a diagnosis like Parkinson's, we fear what end stages could be like. By being proactive and developing an advanced directive, you gain control in making sure your wishes are honored by those who love you and the medical team that will support you.

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An advanced directive is a written document or series of forms that must be signed to be binding. The documents indicate an individual's choice about medical treatment. The advanced directive explains how you want medical decisions about you to be made if you cannot make the decisions yourself. An advanced directive lets your health care team and loved ones know what kind of health care you want and most importantly don't want - or who you want to make decisions on your behalf should you be unresponsive or incapacitated.

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Being diagnosed with Parkinson's doesn't increase the urgency of needing to complete an advanced directive. However, it is a good practice to put into place regardless of a diagnosis. There are many ways you can go about creating your advanced directives. It doesn't necessarily need to be completed by an attorney. There are several legally accepted documents that can be downloaded from the internet for completion that you can get witnessed and notarized very affordably yourself.

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In this section, we go over what it means to identify and name a Health Care Proxy, and how to build your directives. Some people with neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's are curious about brain donation. We explore what that looks like as well in case it should be included or considered in your advanced directives.