Which type of witness is not allowed for advance directives?

In the context of advance directives in Texas, certain individuals are prohibited from serving as witnesses. Advance directives are legal documents that allow individuals to outline their healthcare preferences in case they become unable to communicate those wishes.

A treating physician is not allowed to act as a witness for advance directives because this could create conflicts of interest. A physician who is involved in a patient's care may have personal or professional motivations that could influence their attitudes toward the patient's decisions about end-of-life care, thus undermining the impartiality required in witnessing such a significant document.

Similarly, family members are also prohibited from acting as witnesses. The rationale behind this restriction is that family members may have emotional ties and vested interests in the patient's decisions, which could compromise their objectivity and reliability as witnesses.

Both these restrictions are in place to ensure that the witness must be an unbiased party, ensuring the validity of the advance directive as a true reflection of the patient’s wishes without undue influence or pressure from those who might be affected by the decisions made in this document. Thus, individuals who can serve as witnesses must meet certain impartiality criteria, reinforcing the integrity of advance directive processes in Texas.