Understanding Advance Directives
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In this video, we will spend time talking about the different types of advance directives, importance of advance directive completion and walk through details on completing a health care power attorney document.
The legal documents that are available in Wisconsin are:
- Health care power of attorney
- Living will
- State DNR (do not resuscitate)
Health Care Power of Attorney
The health care power of attorney document is a legal document that allows you to appoint someone to make crucial health care decisions in the event you cannot. It is the only document in Wisconsin that allows you to name an agent and is the most commonly seen advance care planning document in health care settings. Other familiar names for the health care power of attorney may be health care proxy or agent, health care surrogate or durable power of attorney for health care.
The health care power of attorney can be used at any time, not only at the end of life. Wisconsin is not a next-of-kin state like our neighboring states of Illinois and Michigan where your family can directly make decisions for you without a document. In Wisconsin, your family does not automatically get to make your health care decisions for you. It is important, if you reside in Wisconsin, to complete a Wisconsin-specific document.
Living Will
A living will is a set of instructions telling a medical doctor or clinician what to do in very limited situations. It only covers health care decisions — such as feeding tubes, mechanical ventilation and resuscitation when a person is in a coma or when death is imminent. A living will does not name a health care agent to make decisions for you.
State DNR
The Wisconsin State DNR is available to those with a terminal illness or those that it is felt may suffer as a result from receiving CPR. The form designates that you do not wish to have resuscitation in the event your heart stops and you stop breathing. This is a discussion and document that can be completed with your physician. The form is signed by you or your surrogate decision maker as well as your physician.
The Wisconsin State DNR bracelet designates that you do not wish to have resuscitation in the event your heart stops and you stop breathing. The bracelet must be worn to be honored and to communicate do-not-resuscitate status beyond the hospital setting.
Completing the Health Care Power of Attorney
We are now going to walk through how to complete the health care power of attorney document page by page. It is quite simple to complete a health care power of attorney. It can be done in your own home with two people available to witness your signature that are not related to you by by blood, marriage or adoption. The witnesses also cannot be the agents you're going to name in your document. The dates must ALL match to make the document valid. You can find the Wisconsin health care power attorney document online or on the froedtert.com website. Let's get started.
- The first page is where you will fill out the date you are completing the document, your information to include name, address and date of birth. You will also designate your health care power of attorney agents and be sure to include their phone numbers.
- The second page asks several questions relating to admission to a care facility outside the hospital. By checking yes, you're allowing your health care agent to admit you to a nursing home or community-based residential facility, such as assisted living should that level of care be needed.
- The third page addresses whether you are okay with your health care agent making decisions relating to the withdrawal or withholding of a feeding tube. By checking yes, you are granting them permission to make these decisions along with guidance from the medical team. There is also a section that relates to pregnancy, should that pertain to you. If not, simply leave it blank. Lastly, there is an area to designate any special wishes you may have.
- The signature page is where you sign the document with two witnesses who are not related by blood, marriage or adoption. The witnesses also cannot be the agents you are going to name in your document. Be sure all your dates match to make the document valid.
- Lastly, this page is where your health care agents could sign. However, if they are not present or available, the document is still valid without their signatures. There is a place to designate if you wish to donate any organs upon death. This is optional and can be left blank if you wish.
We hope that you feel confident in starting the conversation for advance care planning and completing the health care power of attorney document. Once your document is complete, you can upload it to your MyChart account or bring it to any Froedtert & MCW clinic to have it scanned into your medical record. If you have any additional questions, please contact your doctor or clinician. Thank you for choosing Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network.