Oklahoma’s Advance Directive for Health Care allows you, if you are 18 years of age or older, to inform physicians and others of your wishes to accept, decline or withdraw life-sustaining medical care and to donate specified organs when you have been diagnosed by your attending physician and another physician to be in a terminal condition, a persistently unconscious state, or an end-stage condition. The Advance Directive also allows you to appoint a Health Care Proxy to make certain decisions on your behalf.
If you have completed an Advance Directive and been diagnosed as terminally ill or persistently unconscious by two physicians as defined in the Advance Directive and your attending physician does not want to comply with your wishes, that physician must act promptly to arrange for your care by another physician or health care provider.
After you complete an Advance Directive, you may revoke it in whole or in part at any time and in any manner, without regard to your mental or physical condition. A revocation is effective upon your communication to your attending physician or other care provider or a witness to the revocation.
Make copies of your Advance Directive for your personal records, your family, your physician, your attorney, your Health Care Proxy and your alternate Health Care Proxy. If your physician is unwilling to comply with the Advance Directive, the physician must tell you.
If you signed a Directive to Physicians or other Advance Directive for Health Care under Oklahoma law prior to 2006, it is recommended that you complete the new Advance Directive because of additional options under the existing law.
A Living Will is a written statement by a competent person over the age of 18 directing the withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining measures in a terminal condition. A Medical Power of Attorney gives another person the authority to make medical decisions on someone’s behalf if and when the individual becomes disabled or incapacitated. Information regarding health care directives (Living Will and Medical Power of Attorney) is available by asking health care providers.
