Georgia law gives competent adults the right to make choices about their own health care. This includes the right to choose medical care, to refuse certain care or to stop care altogether. Georgia law also lets you choose someone to make health care choices for you if you are unable or unwilling to do so.
An advance directive is a legal form that lists your wishes about medical care and treatment. You may also name someone to make choices about your medical care and treatment if you can’t. These forms are called advance directives since they are written in advance of a serious illness, to let other people know your wishes. Before July 1, 2007, Georgia law recognized two kinds of ‘advance directives’: a Living Will and a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.
Georgia law changed in 2007 to combine these two forms into one simple form called ‘Georgia Advance Directive For Health Care.’