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Advance Care
Planning
Advance Care Planning is the "process" of
assisting individuals in understanding their medical condition and
potential future complications; understanding the options for future
medical care as it relates to their medical condition; discussing
choices with family, loved ones, and providers; and reflecting upon
these choices in light of personal values, goals, and religious or
cultural beliefs. This planning process is vitally important, not only
for older Americans or those who have a serious and/or progressive
illness, but also for healthy younger adults who may lose the ability
to speak for themselves because of trauma or a sudden unexpected
illness.
As such, it demands guidance in uncovering the
patient’s story and facilitating shared decision making among patient,
family, provider and others. It emphasizes the personal relationships
embedded in making difficult choices for future medical care.
Embracing this definition of advance care planning acknowledges that
it is an ongoing process, not just the completion of one document.
National studies regarding end-of-life care for
those who have not prepared indicate that we are failing by not
addressing these issues early. According to the survey, most states
received a "D" grade in advance care planning.
Advance
Directives
There are four legal documents that protect one's right to specify the
treatment one wants, or to refuse medical treatment one does not want,
in the event a person loses the ability to make decisions.
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Texas Medical Power of Attorney
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Lets you name someone to make decisions about your
medical care-including decisions about life support-if you can no
longer speak for yourself.
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Your attending physician must certify in writing
that you are unable to make health care decisions, and file the
certification in your medical record.
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Texas Directive to Physicians and Family or
Surrogates
(Living Will)
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Lets you state your wishes about medical care in
the event that you develop a terminal or irreversible condition and
can no longer make your own medical decisions.
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Becomes effective when your attending physician
certifies in writing that you are in a terminal or irreversible
condition.
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The Out-of-Hospital Do Not Resuscitate Order (OOH
DNR)
The OOH DNR program allows individuals to decide that they do not want
to be resuscitated if they stop breathing and their heart stops
beating. The program allows people to declare that certain
resuscitative measures will not be used on them. Those resuscitative
measures specifically listed in the OOH DNR legislation are
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), advanced airway management,
defibrillation, artificial ventilations, and transcutaneous cardiac
pacing.
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The Declaration for Mental Health Treatment
Lets you state your wishes about mental health treatment.
Advance Directive Forms
TxPEC intends to help improve knowledge among individuals and families
facing a life-limiting illness regarding advance care planning and the
benefits of executing advance directive documents
Below are links to forms needed. The Out of Hospital Do Not
Resuscitate information and forms in English and Spanish are available
by going to:
http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/hcqs/ems/dnrhome.htm#forms
Additional information is available at Texas Department of Health, or
you can obtain a copy from your physician or health provider. This
form must be signed by a doctor to be valid.
Click on the name of the form to download a blank form.
 Click
here
Answers to frequently asked questions about advance directives.
Advance Directives - Other States
To view and/or download state-specific advance directives (for states
outside Texas) go to
www.partnershipforcaring.org
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