Advance Directive

An advance directive is a written signed document in which you list your healthcare wishes should you later become unable to do so. In the State of Indiana you may make your wishes known through the following methods:

• Talking directly to your physician and family is one of the most important things you can do. Even if you have a written advance directive, talking about your decisions provides everyone a clear understanding of your requests.
• A Living Will generally states that life-prolonging treatments may be withheld or withdrawn from a patient who is certified to be terminally ill. If death is imminent, however, care necessary to provide comfort and dignity will be provided.
• A Life-Prolonging Procedures Declaration generally states all life-prolonging procedures that will be used to prolong the dying process of a patient who is terminally ill.
• A Health Care Representative names a specific person as your representative to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself.
• Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST) is a direct physician order for those who have a condition where there is a reasonable degree of medical certainty there can be no recovery, and death will occur from the condition within a short period without the provision of life-prolonging procedures. In consultation with you or your legal representative, your physician will write orders that reflect your decisions with regards to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), medical interventions (comfort measures, limited additional interventions or full treatment), antibiotics and artificially administered fluids and nutrition.
• You additionally have the option on the POST form to name a “healthcare representative.” The Indiana POST form is available on the Indiana State Department of Health at in.gov/isdh/25880.htm.
• A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare allows an individual to give another person, called an attorney in-fact, the authority to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself. This includes not only medical decisions, but also for making anatomical gifts, requesting autopsy and making funeral arrangements. It is exclusively for healthcare decisions and does not extend to decisions for financial matters.
• An Out-of-Hospital Do Not Resuscitate Declaration and Order is used to state your decisions when an emergency occurs at home or outside of a health facility and there is no medical chart or physician’s order. The law allows a qualified person to say they do not want CPR given if their heart or lungs stop working.
• Increasing the quality of life for another person is the ultimate gift. Donating your organs, tissues and corneas is a way to help others. You may register your decision at donatelifeindiana.org. It is important to discuss your decision with your loved ones and/or your authorized legal decision maker.
• You also may make a psychiatric advance directive if you have legal capacity. The directive sets forth the care and treatment of a mental illness during periods of incapacity.

You can receive a more detailed explanation about Advance Directives by requesting a copy of “Advance Directives: Your Right to Decide” a publication of the Indiana State Department of Health, 2 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 or at in.gov/isdh.