|
Advance Statements
I'm sure I made a thread about this before but I can't find it. I just wanted to let people know about advance statements, if they don't know about them already. I know they exist in Scotland and I think I read somewhere that they also exist in England and Wales, there could be an equivalent in other countries. I've seen it referred to as an advance directive or a living will.
Basically an advance statement is a form you fill in, when you are in a stable period and doing well, where you write about what treatments you would or would not like to have if you become too unwell to make decisions at that point. It's good for mentioning things like how you feel about ECT (maybe say you'd only want it as a last resort), any medications that you have found particularly helpful in the past or things that you have reacted badly to, whether group or individual therapy is better for you. It's good if you can also write the reasons for these things instead of just saying 'I want' or 'I don't want.'
You give copies of the advance statement to the people involved in your treatment and they will put it in your files. You also keep a copy for yourself. If you are admitted to hospital they will check if you have an advance statement. I don't think it means that people have to do what you have asked if they think that you'd be better off with something you haven't mentioned, but they do take your views into account.
I have had an advance statement for a while but luckily have never had to use it. It probably needs updating, which you should do regularly. I think in mine I said that I didn't want to take Quetiapine because it makes me hallucinate and I would prefer not to be on medication that makes people drowsy.
I hope this helps someone.
|
