SURROGATE DECISION MAKING AND ADVANCE DIRECTIVES IN THE ELDERLY

Nowadays in Spain the current legislation (Law 41/2002, of November 14, basic regulatory of the autonomy of the patient and of rights and obligations as for information and clinical documentation) regulates the actions of the sanitary professionals with regard to the information, the capture of clinical decisions by substitution and the document of wills anticipated between other questions. It becomes necessary to continue improving the knowledge of nursing professionals regarding this standard, in order that they could take the pertinent measurements in his daily activity with regard to the diffusion of the document of early decision making, and to act in conscience in situations where is necessary the capture of decisions by substitution. The nursing professional, for his situation of nearness with the elderly patient and their family, has as function inform and give emotional support before the situations that make necessary so much the declaration of decision making, as the capture of clinical decisions by substitution.