Advance Directives Outreach Guide

1. Advance Directives Outreach Guide • This presentation is intended as a template • Modify and/or delete slides as appropriate for your organization and community • Delete this slide before use • To view speaker notes and edit presentation, click 'Edit‘, then 'Edit slides'

2. Planning Ahead:Advance Directivesand End-of-Life Decisions (Add your organization’s name and contact information here)

3. Purpose • Discuss advance directives and end-of-life care decisions • Learn the different types of advance directives • Recognize advantages and disadvantages of advance directives • Identify resources that can help you complete your advance directives

4. Do You Have a Map? …a written planstating what health care treatments you would or would not want if you could not speak for yourself?

5. Why Bother?

6. Why You Need Advance Directives • Your wishes will be known • Only used if you are unable to express your decisions • This can happen to anyone - at any age • Give your loved ones the gift of peace of mind – write down your wishes!

7. Interesting to note… • Most Americans – 88 percent – feel comfortable discussing issues relating to death and dying* • Yet only 42% have a living will* *National Survey on Death, Dying, and Hospice Care in America, VITAS Innovative Healthcare, 2004

8. A written statement of your wishes, preferences and choices regarding end-of-life health care decisions A tool to help you think through and communicate your choices It is a road map for your future health care What are Advance Directives?

9. Advance Directives • Written instructions about future medical care • Only used: • if you are seriously ill or injured AND • Unable to speak for yourself • Should include: • Living will • Medical (health care) power of attorney

10. What is a Living Will? • A legal document with your wishes about medical treatment • A route marked on a map • You choose what you do want & don’t want • It’s YOUR journey

11. What is a Medical Power of Attorney? • A legal form that states who you want to make decisions about medical care • The person is authorized to speak for you ONLY if you are unable to make your own medical decisions, like a ‘back-up driver’ • May also be called: • "health care proxy or agent" • “health care surrogate” • "durable power of attorney for health care"

12. Advance Directives:Advantages • You are in charge of making your own decisions • Documents can be changed anytime • You DO NOT need an attorney • Documents can help you express your wishes • Forms are available for FREE at www.caringinfo.org

13. Advance Directives: Disadvantages • Advance Directives (AD) may not be available when needed • Not readily available in patient charts • Living wills: • may not be specific enough • may be overridden by a treating MD • does not immediately translate into MD order

14. Medical Terms for End-of-Life Care Decision Making • Life-Sustaining Treatment • Artificial Nutrition and Hydration (tube feeding) • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) • Do-Not-Resuscitate Order (DNR) • Palliative Care • Hospice

15. Resources in Our Community • List your local resources here

16. www.caringinfo.org • 800.658.8898

17. FREE Resources Available from Caring Connections • State-specific advance directives • ‘Planning ahead’ Web site information • Brochures to download or order: • Understanding Advance Directives • You Have Filled Out Your Advance Directive… Now What? • End-of-Life Decisions • Conversations Before the Crisis • Ask Tough Questions • Communicating End-of-Life Wishes

18. It’s About How You LIVE! Learn about your options, choices and decisions Implement your advance directive plans Voice your decisions Engage others to complete their advance directives