Advance Care Plans
An advance care plan is simply a directive about health
care wishes that is given in advance. It is a statement that directs the provision of health care for an individual. Individuals have the opportunity to state the type of health care they wish to receive or not receive while they are still able to make those decisions for themselves.
Making decisions about the end of your life can be a life-affirming experience. By completing an Advance Care Plan, or Advance Directive, you can rest assured that, in the event you are unable to communicate, you have taken control of how you believe major decisions should be handled. This will bring peace of mind for yourself, as well as for your family. The individual has the right to change or revoke an Advance Directive at any time. Advance Directives are not required to be admitted to palliative care or hospice care, but they can help your family and care team to know what your wishes are. The following are different types of Advance Directives:
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Living Will
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A legal document that details how you prefer to receive medical treatment when you can no longer make decisions for yourself. This is only related to Health Care, not finances, assets or belongings
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Durable Power of attorney for Health Care
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A legal document that gives another person the authority to make a medical decision for an individual.
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Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR)
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A DNR order allows you to choose whether or not you want CPR in an emergency. It is specific about CPR. It does not have instructions for other treatments, such as pain medicine, other medicines, or nutrition. A doctor writes the order only after talking about it with the patient (if possible), the proxy, or the patient's family.
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Appointment of a Substitute Decision Maker/Surrogate (for Health Care)
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An advance care plan lets you decide who you want to make treatment decisions for you if you cannot speak or decide for yourself. The person you choose is called your substitute decision-maker or health care agent.
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To learn more about each type of Advanced Directive and access simple forms to create your own Advanced Care Plan, click the button below.