Choosing a Health Care Advocate/Decision Maker

Designating a health care advocate can help elders make sure they get the care they want if they get seriously ill and can’t make their own decisions. It can make a difficult situation less stressful for everyone. The health care advocate should be someone who the person trusts to act in his or her best interest. This designated decision maker should be someone who knows the person’s values, religious beliefs, and any other important concerns. The advocate also should be someone who will follow the person’s wishes—even if he or she doesn’t necessarily agree with them. This individual won’t make decisions for the patient as long as he or she is able to make decisions for him or herself.

AMDA physicians in regions throughout the country have information and guidance on this topic. You can listen to practitioners offer insights about how to choose a health care advocate/decision maker and how to discuss and document your elder family member/friend’s wishes and how you can communicate this to health care providers.*

Barbara L. Hoffmann, MD, MBA CMD	Pennsylvania
*Requires a program that plays MP3 audio files