Monthly Health Articles Archive

Making Your Wishes Known
Planning ahead with an advanced directive

November is National Hospice Month, a time that we think about end-of-life care.  Many decisions and plans must be made when a person reaches this stage of their life.  Making your desires known, relating to your medical care, can be effectively communicated through an advanced directive.

There are two different types of advanced directives.  The oldest and most common form is a living will.  This is a document that lists the medical care that you want to have when you can no longer speak for yourself due to an illness or injury.  You can convey your wishes regarding what care you want, as well what you don’t want.  A second form is called the medical power of attorney or durable power of attorney for healthcare.  This allows you to name someone else to speak for you, only at a time when you cannot speak for yourself. This is not limited to end-of-life care.  The person you choose becomes your “agent” and will help make decisions regarding your care with your doctors when you aren’t able to do so.  Sometimes forms will include both power of attorney and living will information together on one document and may have additional questions to answer as well.

 When creating an advanced directive many serious issues come into question, which is why it is best to go through this process when you are feeling well and can think clearly.  An advanced directive won’t address every question, but it’s a good time to think generally about what kind of care you would prefer to choose or refuse.  Consider your beliefs about life and death as well as quality of life.  Would you be in favor of going on life support, which would keep your heart and lungs going when they can no longer work on their own?  Think about life sustaining care, such as a feeding tube or a kidney dialysis machine, keeping you alive when an illness can’t be cured, or life enhancing care for controlling pain.  You might also want to make known your feeling about organ or tissue donation.

To create a living will, you can either have a legal professional create it for you or do one yourself.  Forms may be obtained from your doctor, hospital, senior citizen center, or lawyer. Many websites are also available to assist you with this process.  Some sites offer a sample form for an advanced directive such as www.caringinfo.org. Each state has different rules and forms, so be sure that if you find a sample form online that it is for the state of Iowa.  In order to be a legal document, the form must be notarized or witnessed when you sign it.

Once you have created the advanced directive, don’t forget to distribute it to the people who will need it when decisions need to be made.  Make copies for the hospital records and doctors, one for your vehicle and at home.  Keep the original in a safe place such as a bank box or safe. 

An advanced directive isn’t limited to senior citizens or people with a terminal illness.  We encourage people of all ages to consider an advanced directive.  This type of planning will save your loved ones the stress and guesswork that inevitably comes with the decisions that accompany end-of-life care.  To learn more about advance directives or hospice care, contact Hospice of the Heartland at 515.295.4430.