Guaranteeing Your Patient Rights
What every Cox patient needs to know
Guaranteeing your health care rights
What are Advance Medical Directives?
They are legal documents that allow you to give directions about your
future medical care in the event you become mentally or physically unable
to communicate your wishes.
What document can serve as my Advance Directive?
In the state of Missouri, a Living Will or a Durable Power of Attorney
for Health Care can be used to outline your Advance Directives. It’s
your right to accept or refuse medical care. Advance Directives can protect
this right if an injury or illness renders you unable to do so.
Why should I consider Advance Directives?
Because they could be valuable tools to important people in your life.
Advance Directives can help:
- you by protecting your right to make medical choices about your life.
- your family by taking away the burden – and stress –
of making difficult decisions.
- your physician by providing guidelines for your care.
As a patient, your rights include:
- access to care regardless of race, creed, religion, disability, age,
sex or national origin.
- privacy and confidentiality concerning you and your medical care.
- information about your diagnosis, treatment and any known prognosis.
- informed consent or permission before your physician or the hospital
performs any procedures, tests or treatment.
- refusal of treatment if you do not wish it to begin or continue.
How can Advance Directives protect people?
They help establish an understanding about what treatment will be administered
to patients who have lost the ability to communicate due to:
- irreversible brain damage or brain disease.
- permanent coma or other unconscious state.
- terminal illness which could lead to brain damage and loss of consciousness.
Advance directives can limit life-prolonging measures when there’s
little or no chance of recovery. For example, they can enable you to make
your feelings known about:
- cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)* used to restore stopped breathing
and/or heartbeat.
- intravenous (IV) therapy used to provide food, water and/or medication
through a tube placed in a vein.
- feeding tubes that provide nutrition when a patient can no longer
eat normally.
- respirators used to keep patients breathing.
- dialysis used to cleanse the patients’ blood by machine, when
the kidneys no longer function properly.
*Do not resuscitate orders may not be followed in the operating room.
What types of Advance Directives are available?
There are currently two types of Advance Directives available to you.
Living Wills
These are written instructions that explain your wishes regarding health
care if an injury or illness renders you unable to do so.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
In a written document, you can name a person (called an agent) to make
decisions for you if you become unable to do so.
Consider the medical possibilities. What is most important to you?
- To prolong life, regardless of pain, chances for recovery and cost?
- To avoid life-prolonging measures if the chances for recovery are
not good?
Discuss your answers with:
- family members
- friends
- your attorney
- your physician
- clergy
How do I establish Advance Directives?
- To obtain forms for Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Health
Care click here. For more information, call 417/865-4501.
- Put your wishes in writing by following the directions on the forms.
- Sign and date your Advance Directives and have them witnessed and
notarized.
- Keep a card in your wallet or purse stating that you have Advance
Directives and where they can be found.
- Give your doctor a copy to keep in your medical records.
- Discuss your Advance Directives with your family and friends and give
copies to those who would likely be notified in an emergency. If using
the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, be sure your agent receives
a copy.
- Bring an updated copy of your Advance Directives with you to the hospital
each time you are a patient.
- Review your Advance Directives on a regular basis and make any necessary
changes. Inform your doctor, family and agent of any changes.
Top of page
|
