When you’re feeling healthy, it can be difficult to think that one day you might be in a situation where you are mentally incapacitated, such as being in a coma, and cannot make rational decisions regarding your health care. But life happens, and it’s important to be prepared, particularly the older we get. To help facilitate this, there is Five Wishes®, an easy-to-use legal medical advance directive that addresses what should happen if you were to become ill and are no longer able to make decisions for yourself. In the best of circumstances, it is difficult to make healthcare decisions on behalf of another, and it is even more difficult when the person’s healthcare wishes have not been discussed, particularly at end of life. Instituting an advance directive is a vital step in ensuring that a person is in control of their healthcare needs.
Many people don’t have advance care directives because they don’t even know about them, or if they do, they don’t completely understand what they’re all about. An advance directive is a legal document that instructs your doctors as to what kind of care and treatment you would like to receive in the event you are unable to make decisions for yourself. The advance directive will answer questions such as what kind of care you would want if you become unconscious and who is able to make your healthcare decisions for you if you are mentally unable to do it yourself. It is important to research the laws about advance directives in your own state, as they vary from state to state.
The importance of planning for your future healthcare needs cannot be overstated — because if you find yourself in a situation where you are unable to speak, then it is important that you are still represented in the decision-making process. You want to be able to make decisions even in your end-of-life care. And please keep in mind that past verbal wishes relayed to someone, even a family member, do not suffice; by putting those wishes in a written document, it will ensure that your wishes will be met. It will also relieve any pressure or confusion your family members might have during this difficult time.
There are different ways in which you can implement an advance directive, including asking a lawyer to draw it up on your behalf or writing one yourself (if you do the latter, make sure to check with a lawyer that you’re abiding by your state’s laws). But again, one of the easiest ways, if not the easiest, is using Five Wishes®.
There are a number of requests you can make regarding your end-of-life care in your Five Wishes® advance directive. You can:
- Indicate who you want to have as your healthcare agent if you are unable to represent yourself
- State the kind of medical treatment you want, including whether or not you want to have a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order
- If you would like to be placed on life support
- At what point you would like to be taken off life support
- The level of comfort you want to be in during treatment
- How you want to be treated and cared for
- What information you would like to share with your loved ones
- Who should be present at your time of death
Finally, it’s important to know that you can change your advance directive as long as you are considered of sound mind and able to think rationally for yourself. Any written changes you make should be signed to make it clear that you have changed your healthcare instructions. And destroy any previous advance care directives you’ve instituted to avoid any confusion. Also, be sure to let your physician and family members know of the changes.
If you live in Indian River County and are interested in more information about advance care planning, the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) offers seminars throughout the year. The next two seminars will both be held on April 16, 2026, at the Main Library (1600 21st Street in Vero Beach) from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and at the North County Library (1001 Sebastian Blvd. in Sebastian) from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
And to download a personalized copy of Five Wishes®, click here. For additional information on advance directives, please visit agingwithdignity.org or caringinfo.org.
This information is for educational purposes. Please consult your physician regarding any medical issues. The Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast (VNA) is committed to bringing trusted and quality home health, private care and hospice to Indian River County patients. For more information about VNA services, call 772-567-5551 or visit www.vnatc.com h
