May 18, 2015 The man sitting in the hospital room in the picture is the husband. The wife is unconscious in the hospital bed. It could be children in the room with no spouse present. On occasion, there may be no immediate family at all.
What does the person want done in a terminal illness? The most obvious question is “pull the plug?” Without reaching that final question, there may be intermediate questions such as whether to consent to surgery, what level of surgery, whether to provide hydration (water), whether to provide nutrition, or both – or whether to do everything possible to prolong life.
All of these questions can be most difficult for another to decide. So, why don’t you simply go ahead and make the decisions now, for yourself, and not put your spouse or children through a heart wrenching ordeal?
Think you have a long time before the question comes up? What about a car wreck? An accident of another sort? Unknown illness? There may not be time.
Fortunately, the Georgia Legislature has provided a form which you can use. Whether or not this form is appropriate is not something which I as a judge can state. One always can benefit from competent, experienced legal advice. I can, however, give you the information to locate the form.
You are seeking the following code section: 31-32-4.
You may access Georgia Law for free through the Georgia Legislative site. The link is: Official Code of Georgia.
Please note that you should also read the code sections accompanying this form for definitions and other matters. Again, the advice of an experienced attorney is always most beneficial.