Ensuring Your Faith Guides Your Care: Key Considerations for Catholic Healthcare Directives

As Catholics, our faith shapes every aspect of our lives, including our approach to healthcare. When faced with illness or injury, making decisions about medical treatment can be a complex and emotionally charged experience. However, understanding Catholic healthcare directives ensures your wishes are respected, and your faith informs your care.

In this comprehensive guide, Catholic Legacy will help you understand the key aspects of Catholic healthcare directives and how to make informed decisions to ensure your faith guides your care.

The Role of Catholic Healthcare Directives

A Catholic healthcare directive, or a living will, is a legal document outlining your medical treatment preferences when you cannot decide for yourself. This document lets you express your wishes on varied topics, including:

  • Life-sustaining measures: Do you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops or breathing ceases? This includes decisions about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and mechanical ventilation.
  • Pain management: Do you want to prioritize pain relief, even if it may shorten your life expectancy? This involves balancing the desire for comfort with specific treatments’ potential risks and benefits.
  • Catholic Sacraments: Would you like to receive the Last Rites and Anointing of the Sick during a critical illness? These sacraments offer spiritual comfort and support in times of need.
  • Advance directives for mental health: These directives can outline your wishes regarding treatment and interventions.
  • Organ donation: You can express your desire to donate your organs after death. Catholic Legacy’s Healthcare Directive includes clauses that protect against any uses that conflict with Catholic teachings, such as being used in military tests.

Benefits & Considerations:

  • Empowerment: By creating a healthcare directive, you control your medical care, ensuring your values and beliefs are respected. The directive helps communicate your wishes when you cannot communicate by yourself. This can give you peace of mind and reduce stress for your loved ones.
  • Reduced Stress for Loved Ones: Knowing your wishes in advance can alleviate the burden on your family members during a difficult time. They will clearly understand your preferences, reducing the stress of making difficult decisions on your behalf.
  • Respect for Your Faith: A Catholic healthcare directive lets you express your wishes regarding medical treatment in a way that aligns with Catholic teachings. This ensures that your faith is honored and your spiritual well-being is prioritized.
  • Clarity and Consistency: Taking advantage of the Funeral Guide on Catholic Legacy and referring to it on your healthcare directive, you can lay out a clear plan for your loved ones so they don’t make decisions that aren’t aligned with your wishes, such as scattering ashes or choosing secular services.
  • Legal Protection: A healthcare directive is a legally binding document that can help protect your rights and prevent disputes among family members.
  • Peace of Mind: Knowing that your medical wishes are documented and will be respected can provide peace of mind and reduce anxiety about your future healthcare.

Healthcare Agent: Delegating Your Healthcare Decisions

Catholic Legacy assigns a Healthcare Agent or medical power of attorney (POA) in your Catholic Healthcare Directive. This agent is legally appointed to make medical decisions if you become incapacitated.

Choosing Your Healthcare Proxy

The person you choose as your healthcare proxy should be someone you trust completely. Here are some qualities to consider:

  • Shares Your Catholic Values: They should understand and respect your religious beliefs about healthcare.  
  • Comfortable with Medical Decisions: Can they research and understand complex medical information?
  • Willing to Advocate for Your Wishes: Are they confident in making decisions according to your directive?​​​​​​​

Benefits & Considerations

Assigning a Healthcare Agent, also known as a healthcare proxy or medical power of attorney, provides peace of mind, ensuring your healthcare decisions align with your wishes and faith. It also spares your loved ones from the burden of making difficult medical choices on their own by clearly outlining your preferences in advance.

Being a legal part of your healthcare directive, a Healthcare Agent receives the legal authority to make medical decisions on your behalf under the conditions specified in the directive.

  • Specificity: Be clear about your wishes regarding life-sustaining measures, pain management, and Catholic Sacraments. This helps prevent unwanted procedures that may contradict your faith, such as euthanasia or assisted suicide. Cases like Terri Schiavo underscore the importance of having a Healthcare Directive that understands and handles the nuances of difficult decisions.
  • Review Regularly: Update your healthcare directive as your health or circumstances change. This ensures that your wishes remain current and relevant.
  • Communication: Discuss your healthcare directive with your chosen proxy and family members. Ensure they understand your preferences and are prepared to advocate for your wishes.

Remember, a Catholic healthcare directive must be properly executed to be valid. Consulting with an attorney can help you ensure that your directive meets all the legal requirements in your state and accurately reflects your wishes.

How Catholic Legacy Makes It Easier

Catholic Legacy has created a free Catholic Healthcare Directive to help ensure your medical decisions reflect your faith. Developed in consultation with the National Catholic Bioethics Center, our directive upholds Catholic moral teachings while allowing you to document your healthcare preferences with confidence. Start planning today to protect your values and provide peace of mind for your loved ones.

Conclusion

Creating a Catholic healthcare directive is a vital step for Catholics who want their medical decisions to align with their faith and values. By utilizing Catholic resources and thoughtfully choosing a healthcare proxy, you can ensure that your wishes are honored and that your care is guided by your faith.

This directive is not just about medical choices; it is about preserving dignity, embracing spirituality, and ensuring that even in times of illness or injury, your faith remains at the heart of your care.