Info on

Advance Medical Directives and Power of Attorney

7 August 2024

Everyone should prepare for potential incapacity at the end of life. The Terminally Ill Law allows any person to issue advance medical directives or appoint a healthcare proxy in case they become terminally ill.

Advance medical directives for a terminally ill person outline the person's wishes to avoid or receive any form of medical treatment, even if it contradicts the physician’s recommendations.

A healthcare power of attorney authorizes someone to make medical decisions for an incapacitated terminally ill person.

Advance medical directives or a power of attorney only take effect if a person is terminally ill and incapacitated.

The law states that any person 17 years of age or older who is coherent, completely conscious and able to make decisions can issue advance medical directives or designate a healthcare proxy.

Making advance directives may be uncomfortable, but it's a loving gift to your family. It clarifies your wishes for care and helps them make decisions confidently during a difficult time.

It is important that you know that if you can make decisions, your spoken decisions, rather than the directives, take effect. The directives and power of attorney only become valid if the you are unable to make decisions.

Your advance directives remain valid for five years and can be extended as well as revised as your wishes change. They can also be revoked at any time.

After completion, the relevant forms must be sent via registered mail, together with a photocopy of the ID to the Center for Health Care Directives of the Ministry of Health.

Saving the forms in the Ministry of Health database ensures that they are accessible to doctors and nurses in hospitals, as well as reminding people to extend them before they expire (up to five years).

At any age, one can and should prepare for complex medical conditions and make decisions in advance regarding the treatment they want performed or they want to avoid. Naturally, this preparation becomes even more relevant as one ages. This discussion is not simple, forcing us to cope with thoughts that may be frightening and confront our various fears. Having said that, a predetermined decision on the procedures we want performed, if we are declared to be terminally ill, will ensure that the procedures will be performed when we are no longer able to make decisions in a manner that corresponds with our wishes and reflect our values.

How to Apply for Advance Medical Directives

Fill out the advance medical directives forms and submit them. These forms allow you to specify two things:

Advance medical directives for future medical care of a terminally ill person

Predetermine future medical treatment: Decide on medical treatments you wish to receive or avoid if terminally ill and unable to make decisions.

Grant power-of-attorney for medical decisions

Appoint someone you trust (healthcare proxy) to make medical decisions for you when you are terminally ill and unable to decide for yourself.

Both or just one of these options can be chosen.

The Terminally Ill Law (Hebrew) also refers to the issuing of advance medical directives and appointing of a healthcare proxy who can make the medical care decisions for you.

How to Submit the Directives and Power of Attorney

Send the completed forms by registered mail, with a photocopy of your ID, to:

The Center for Health Care Directives, Ministry of Health

Address: 39 Yirmiyahu Street, Jerusalem

POB: 1176

Zip code: 9446724

Advance Medical directives for Future Medical Treatment of a Terminally-ill Person

The law governs the procedures for issuing advance directives on receiving or avoiding life-extending medical care: In the event of an incurable condition with a life expectancy of six months and incapacity that affects the ability to make decisions.

Must Know

Must Know

Advance medical directives only take effect if you are unable to make decisions. If you are totally clear and conscious, your wishes will override the directives.

The directives are binding on the medical personnel and allow everyone to plan ahead of time for the possibility of become incapacitated at the end of life.

What Can Be Defined in the Advance Medical Directives for Future Medical Care

  • Request that medical treatments be withheld if you become terminally sick and unable to make decisions (e.g., loss of consciousness, dementia).
  • Inform us if you want to receive life-extending treatment.

Who Can Issue Advance Medical Directives or Power of Attorney

According to the law, any person aged 17 or older, who is well or is ill, and has the capacity to make decisions can issue advance medical directives or appoint a healthcare proxy.

It is important that you know that the directives are valid for five years from the date of signing. You can extend the directives for another five-year period by completing the form for extending advance medical directives or power of attorney (Hebrew).

The directives can be canceled or changed by resubmitting the form.

How to fill out the advance medical directives form to ensure customized medical treatment at the end of life?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICitIuHGZPk?rel=0

Filling Out the Advance Medical Directives Form

Healthcare Power of Attorney for the Terminally Ill

The healthcare power of attorney allows you to choose someone, called a healthcare proxy, to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to make decision.

The form provides these options for what authority your proxy will have:

  1. Your proxy can make any decision about accepting or refusing treatments.
  2. Your proxy can only consent to extraordinary life-saving medical treatments.
  3. Your proxy can only make decisions about certain treatments you specify in the form.

The power of attorney is limited to medical decisions. It does not cover financial matters or other areas. To appoint someone for those matters, talk to a lawyer.

If you are not terminally ill, you can fill out a shorter version of the power of attorney form (Hebrew).

Must Know

Must Know

If you submit forms for both advance medical directives and power-of-attorney, the person's decisions will take precedence over those made by the proxy.

More on the subject