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Information on Living Wills and Advanced Directives

The Health Care Surrogate

Many people believe that if they have signed a living will, then their care planning is complete, but it only provides broad guidelines about not artificially prolonging life under specific conditions. It is the designated health care surrogate who is allowed to make other critical health care decisions, when the individual cannot speak for himself or herself. The role of the health care surrogate is critically important.

You can guide your members to examine the need for designating a surrogate and make a choice about who that person should be.

What a Health Care Surrogate Can Do

  • Make decisions about things the person might not have anticipated;

  • Talk with the physician about the patient's medical condition and authorize treatment or have it withdrawn as circumstances change;

  • Serve as an advocate for the patient and take any other necessary steps to see that his or her wishes are honored;

  • Make decisions any time the person loses the ability to make a medical decision, not just decisions about the end of life.

Choosing a Health Care Surrogate

A health care surrogate may be a family member, but does not need to be. He/she should be someone who:

  • you can trust and understands your wishes;
  • will be able to communicate with your family;
  • is willing to take on this significant responsibility;
  • is fully aware of your wishes regarding medical treatment.

For an excellent set of questions to guide someone in choosing a surrogate, we recommend a booklet entitled, Your Life, Your Choices. It is available here. Print the exercise on page 20 entitled "Who should speak for me."

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