Advanced Care Directives

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Examples of advance directives

Verbal instructions. These are any decisions regarding care that are communicated verbally by an individual to his or her health care provider(s) and family members.

Organ donation. This may be accomplished by completing an organ donation card and carrying it in your wallet. A second card may be placed with important papers (such as a living will, insurance papers, and so on.) Most hospitals or other major health care centers have organ donor information available.

Many states offer people who are applying for new or renewed drivers' licenses the opportunity to make a decision regarding organ donation and have it recorded on the driver's license. More information may be obtained by calling 1-800-24-DONOR.

Living will. This is a written, legal document that conveys the wishes of an individual in the event he/she becomes terminally ill and incapable of communicating. A living will may indicate specific care or treatment the person does or does not wish to have implemented in the event of a terminal illness. This may include specific procedures, care, or treatments such as the following:

• CPR, if cardiac or respiratory arrest occurs
• Artificial nutrition, through intravenous or tube feedings
• Prolonged maintenance on a respirator, if unable to breathe adequately alone
• Blood cultures, spinal fluid evaluations, and other diagnostic tests
• Blood transfusions

State laws vary regarding living wills. Information specific to individual states usually may be obtained from the State Bar Association, State Medical Association, State Nursing Association, and most hospitals or medical centers.

NOTE: A living will is not to be confused with a last will and testament that distributes assets after a person's death.

Special medical power of attorney. A legal document that allows an individual to appoint someone else (proxy) to make medical or health care decisions, in the event the individual becomes unable to make and/or communicate such decisions personally.

NOTE: This document provides for power to make medically related decisions only and does not imply appointed power to make legal or financial decisions.

DNR (do not resuscitate) order. This states that CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) is not to be initiated if breathing stops or the heart stops beating. The order may be written by the person's doctor after discussing the issue beforehand with the person (if possible) or his or her proxy or family.