Please It's your right to accept or refuse medical care. Advance Directives help protect this right by making your choices known if you become unable to do so yourself. Advance Directives help your family by freeing them of the responsibility of having to make difficult decisions for you.
The types of Advance Directives are:
Directive to Physicians - also known as a living will. These are written instructions that explain your wishes for health care if you are unable to communicate your wishes. For example, you can limit certain life-prolonging measures when there is little or no chance of recovery.
Medical Power of Attorney - names a person to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to do so .
Out of Hospital Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR) - if a health crisis occurs and EMS is called, the paramedics are generally required to resuscitate and stabilize patients before they are brought to a hospital. A DNR will allow EMS personnel to refrain from doing so.
Click on National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization & go to Caring Connections Directives for additional information and states by state forms and instructions
