Advance Care Planning
What?
An Advance Directive for health care
AKA "Durable Power of Attorney for health care" - "Living
Will" - "Directive to Physicians"
Who?
YOU - and everyone over 18 years of age. This documentation of health care proxy and preferences is NOT only for
the seriously ill and the elderly. Without an Advance Directive, decision-making
complications may arise and your wishes may not be honored.
Why?
Because you care for your loved ones! -- and they may need to make health care decisions on your behalf someday.
You will:
- Name and fully authorize the person you choose to make health care decisions
on your behalf when you are unable to do it yourself
- Provide some guidance about what makes sense to you and what doesn't
when it comes to health care decisions
- Give a gift of love to your circle of loved ones, family and friends -
a possibility of having the peace of knowing they are following your wishes
if they ever have to make tough decisions.
When?
The best time to do your Advance Directive is when you are with your loved
ones, so you can all do it together and participate in the general discussions
the process naturally prompts.
But don't put this off!
Where?
Do this in the comfort of your own home, for example at a kitchen table,
with cups of warm tea for everyone.
Focus on the conversation - not the document! You and your loved ones will enjoy the exploration of deep personal preferences,
values, hopes, "what makes sense" - and become familiar with
differences that exist in your circle about these very personal matters.
When you've finished your Advance Directive, makes copies for everyone
you name in it, for your doctor and hospital, and you're done!
Advance Directive Forms
California Advance Health Care Directive Forms
Five Wishes
Five Wishes serves as an Advance Directive and is a legally-valid tool
available for your use. Five Wishes helps ensure your wishes, and those
of your loved ones, will be respected-even if you cannot speak for yourself.
POLST (Physician Order for Life Sustaining Treatment)
A new law effective 1/1/16 allows Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
to sign the California POLST form. The form is now available in ENGLISH
and will be available in other languages later in January, 2016. For more
information visitwww.capolst.org
Click
here for more information and to download a copy of the POLST in English, Spanish,
Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsim Armenian, Russian, Tagalog and Hmong.
POLST Forms
Click
here to download a
2016 California POLST form in English.