1. ADVANCE DIRECTIVES
YOUR RIGHT TO DECIDE

2. IMPORTANCE
ADVANCE DIRECTIVES MAKE YOUR WISHES KNOWN EVEN WHEN YOU CANNOT SPEAK FOR YOURSELF. Indiana recognizes the following:
Talking directly to your physician and family
Organ and tissue donation
Health care representative
Living will declaration of life-prolonging procedures declaration
Psychiatric advance directives
Out of hospital do not resuscitate declaration and order
Physician Orders for Scope of Treatment (POST)
Power of attorney

3. Talking to your physician and family
Physician will record your wishes in your medical chart
Physician or medical chart may not be available when needed
Discuss wishes with your family
Family may not be available when needed
Advance directives may require further documentation
Provide each provider with a copy of advance directives

4. Organ and tissue donation
Make your wishes known to your family
Make your wishes known to your physician
Make sure that you have indicated organ donation on your driver’s License

5. Health care representative
A person you choose to receive healthcare information and make healthcare decisions for you when you cannot
Must complete appointment of healthcare representative document that names your chosen representative
Must be in writing, signed by you and witnessed by another adult

6. Living will
Written document that puts into words your wishes in the event that you become terminally ill and unable to communicate.
Lists specific care you want or do not want during a terminal illness.
Often includes directions for CPR, artificial nutrition, ventilator usage and blood transFusions
Must have two adult witnesses and signed by you

7. Psychiatric advance directives
Written document expressing your preferences and consent to treatment measures for a specific diagnosis
Sets forth the care and treatment of a mental illness during periods of incapacity

8. Out of hospital do not resuscitate
Used to state your wishes in the event of incapacitation in a pre- hospital setting
Can be cancelled by you at anytime

9. Physician orders for scope of treatment
Direct physician order for a person with at least one of the following:
Advanced chronic progressive illness
Advanced chronic progressive frailty
Condition from which there is no recovery
Death will occur within a short period without life prolonging procedures
Medical condition that resuscitation would be unsuccessful
Must be signed and dated by you and your physician to be valid

10. Power of attorney
Legal document authorizing representative for financial matters, healthcare authority or both
Document must:
Name the attorney in fact (representative)
List the situations that give the attorney in fact the power to act
List the powers you want to give
List the powers you do not want to give
Confirm with your chosen representative that they are willing to serve
Must be in writing and signed in the presence of a notary public

11. REFERENCE
Advance Directives Your Right to Decide. (2013, July 1). Retrieved October 4, 2016, from