Making your preferences known

There may come a time when you too sick to make your own decisions about your medical care and decisions will have to be made for you. If you have not given any instructions, no one will know what you would have decided. It is important that you make some decisions before hand with advanced directives to ensure that you receive the care that you would desire.

What is an advance directive?

Advance directives are documents signed by a competent person giving direction to health care providers about treatment choices in certain circumstances.

There are two parts (forms) in the Advance Directive:

• A Health Care Representative form allows you to name a spokesperson to act on your behalf and express your choices regarding your medical care and treatment.
• An Instruction to the Physician form allows you to state your choices about your medical care in four specific end-of-life situations.

What decisions should I consider?

• Who would you like to make treatment decisions for you, if you are unable to do so?
• What are your choices regarding the use of ventilators, surgery, resuscitation (CPR), drugs or tube feeding if you were to become terminally ill? If you were unconscious and not likely to wake up?
• What kind of medical treatment would you want if you had a severe stroke or other medical condition that made you dependant on others?
• What sort of mental, physical, or social abilities are important for you to enjoy living?
• Do you want to receive every treatment your caregivers recommend?

What should I do if I want an advance directive?

• Advance Directives and instructions can be obtained by calling Pastoral Care at Salem Hospital (503) 561-5562.
• The most important part of the Advance Directive is talking with your family and caregivers to make sure they understand your medical care choices and that they will be able to follow your choices.