Many of the decisions you or your loved ones face during serious illness often can be eased by preparation. Advance directives forms:
A Living Will is a document that helps you express how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself.
The Five Wishes document helps you express how you want to be treated if you are seriously ill and unable to speak for yourself.
A Medical Durable Power of Attorney is a written document that appoints another person, called an agent, to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make your own health decisions.
Make your wishes known in writing by completing a Donor Directions for Anatomical Gift Form or a similar document.
A parent or legal guardian may want to consider providing written authorization for another person to give consent in advance for medical treatment for a minor child if you are not available to consent to care.
An order from your doctor that you are not to be given Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) if you stop breathing or your heart stops beating.