What are Advance Directives?
Advance Directives document a patient’s wishes concerning the withholding or withdrawing life of sustaining procedures. The two types of Advance Directives are:
- The Living Will addresses the individual’s wishes to have or not have life-sustaining procedures in the event that they are no longer competent or able to participate in decisions regarding medical care.
- The Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions permits a person to have their wishes about medical care respected by delegating to another person (e.g. a relative or friend) the authority to make health care decisions for that person both before and after the person’s incapacity.
How can a patient obtain information related to Advance Directives?
Information regarding Advanced Directives is available in our admission packets for inpatients and home health patients. Information will be provided to patients in outpatient and clinic settings upon request. Barb Rapp (x 3417) will explain and review information as needed and will notarize any advance directive made.
Nursing will be responsible for giving written information on Advance Directives to and documenting the existence of an Advance Directive on patients who are direct admits to the nursing unit.