Holidays Are a Good Time to Talk About Final Wishes?
November 21, 2024
Yes! Strange as it sounds, your physician recommends it!
As you gather together with family and close friends this holiday season, you might want to introduce an unusual topic – advance directives. While most adults believe it’s important to have advance care planning conversations, very few have done so.
An advance directive is a legal document that outlines your preferences for medical treatment in case you become unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself. Having one is important because it provides clear direction to your physician and your family about what kind of medical care you want or don’t want, even if you are unconscious or incapacitated.
The Illinois State Medical Society offers A Personal Decision as a free resource for the public to educate patients and their families about advance directives and help patients make their wishes known. This booklet provides Illinois patients with practical information about determining future medical care.
The advance directives booklet includes:
• A Living Will Form
• Statutory Short Form for Power of Attorney for Health Care
• Illinois Official Statutory Declaration for Mental Health Treatment Form
• Organ Donor Card
• Uniform DNR Advance Directive Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
Anyone can download this ISMS resource for free.
Having an advance directive in place also helps alleviate the burden on loved ones when making decisions about your healthcare in a crisis situation. These documents will provide the guidance needed about your wishes for whether you want medical treatment in particular circumstances.
Download A Personal Decision and have that conversation with your loved ones this holiday season!
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Yes! Strange as it sounds, your physician recommends it!
As you gather together with family and close friends this holiday season, you might want to introduce an unusual topic – advance directives. While most adults believe it’s important to have advance care planning conversations, very few have done so.
An advance directive is a legal document that outlines your preferences for medical treatment in case you become unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself. Having one is important because it provides clear direction to your physician and your family about what kind of medical care you want or don’t want, even if you are unconscious or incapacitated.
The Illinois State Medical Society offers A Personal Decision as a free resource for the public to educate patients and their families about advance directives and help patients make their wishes known. This booklet provides Illinois patients with practical information about determining future medical care.
The advance directives booklet includes:
• A Living Will Form
• Statutory Short Form for Power of Attorney for Health Care
• Illinois Official Statutory Declaration for Mental Health Treatment Form
• Organ Donor Card
• Uniform DNR Advance Directive Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
Anyone can download this ISMS resource for free.
Having an advance directive in place also helps alleviate the burden on loved ones when making decisions about your healthcare in a crisis situation. These documents will provide the guidance needed about your wishes for whether you want medical treatment in particular circumstances.
Download A Personal Decision and have that conversation with your loved ones this holiday season!
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Founded in 1840, ISMS is a professional membership association representing Illinois physicians in all medical specialties, and their patients, statewide.