Advance Care Planning
It's important to have a plan in place to make sure your health care wishes are known and honored in any situation. Advance care planning is important no matter your age; something could happen at any time to anyone.
Advance directives is a way to let your health care team know about your wishes, but it can only be honored when your health care facility, physician, or your family members know that you have them. It is important to give copies of these forms to those who are involved with your medical care. Any person over age 18 who can make his or her own decisions can complete an advance directive form. You do not need a lawyer to complete advance directive forms.
These legal documents include:
Health Care Power of Attorney (Spanish)
- Allows you to name a person to make health care decisions for you, if you become unable to make them for yourself.
- Applies if you are temporarily or permanently unable to make your own decisions.
Living Will
Applies when you are terminally ill and unable to communicate, or you are permanently unconscious. Two physicians must agree that you will not recover. States your wishes to withhold all life sustaining treatment and permit you to die naturally, with any necessary care to keep you comfortable.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
A DNR gives individuals the opportunity to exercise their right to limit care received in emergency situations in special circumstances, which include care received from emergency personnel when 911 is dialed.
Organ Donation
Advances in medical science have made transplant surgery extremely successful. Transplantation is no longer considered experimental, but rather a desirable treatment option for end-stage organ failure. The major problem is that there are thousands of Americans waiting for a match to give them a second chance at life, yet there are not enough registered organ donors to meet the growing need. As a result, 18 men, women and children die each day awaiting life-saving transplants that don’t come in time. Fisher-Titus is a proud supporter of Ohio's Donate Life Program.
All of these documents must be signed by a patient who is competent as well as be witnessed and/or notarized. You can find a copy of the forms here. Spanish version can be found here.
