LVHN is now proudly part of Jefferson Health
La Lehigh Valley Health Network se enorgullece en ser ahora parte de Jefferson Health.
Proudly Part of Jefferson Health
Advance care planning is about having meaningful dialogue with your care team and loved ones regarding your long-term health care needs and wishes. By starting this conversation today, you’ll be prepared for the future, no matter what life brings.
Advance care planning involves proactively discussing and preparing for future decisions about your medical care if you become seriously ill or unable to communicate your wishes. Having meaningful conversations with your loved ones is the most important part of advance care planning. Many people also choose to put their preferences in writing by completing legal documents called advance directives.
Like most things in life, projects and purchases require mapping out a plan and coordinating with others to accomplish it. So, what if something were to happen to throw your planning off course?
An advance care plan ensures you will receive the care that’s right for you and what you desire, no matter what path life brings you down at any age. Preparation is the key for every other event in life, and this is no exception. Your health deserves the same attention and planning as your career, family and finances.
Understanding your choices and making them known can ensure you get the care you need and want should you become seriously ill or injured.
Fill out a free advance directive form
Health Care Power of Attorney (HCPOA) – This is a written document in which you appoint another to serve as your agent and to make health care decisions. The HCPOA states when and what decisions an agent may make, as well as the patient’s preferences and values that guide decision making.
Living Will – This advance directive is a document that lets physicians and other people state your wishes for end-of-life medical treatment, should you become unable to communicate your decisions.
Pennsylvania Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) – This is a voluntary process that translates your goals for care at the end of life into medical orders that follow you across care settings. This form accompanies physician orders based on your medical condition and your treatment choices resulting from communication between you or the legal-medical decision-maker and a health care professional. POLST is designed to improve the quality of care you receive at the end of life by turning your goals and preferences for care into medical orders.
An advance directive is legally recognized but not legally binding. This means that your health care team and proxy will do their best to respect your advance directives and will use your documented wishes and previous conversations to help guide decision making regarding your health care. This is why having conversations about your preferences is so important. Talking with your loved ones ahead of time will help them better navigate unanticipated issues.
To get started with advance care planning, consider the following steps:
This can help you think through what matters most at the end of life and guide your decisions about future care and medical treatment.
Advance care planning is covered by Medicare as part of your annual wellness visit. Talking to a health care professional can help you learn about your current health and the kinds of decisions that are likely to come up. For example, you might ask about decisions you may face if your high blood pressure leads to a stroke.
Whether it’s a family member or a loved one, it’s important to choose someone you trust as your health care proxy. Once you’ve decided, discuss your values and preferences with them. If you’re not ready to discuss specific treatments or care decisions yet, try talking about your general preferences.
To make your care and treatment decisions official, you can complete a living will. Similarly, once you decide on your health care proxy, you can make it official by completing a durable power of attorney for health care.
After you’ve completed your advance directives, make copies and store them in a safe place. Give copies to your health care proxy, health care team and lawyer. Some states have registries that can store your advance directive for quick access by health care team members and your proxy.
You can also add care planning forms to your MyLVHN account so they are accessible to your health care team. These may include your advance directive, living will, power of attorney, physicians order for life sustaining treatment (POLST) and others. For the best viewing experience, use the desktop version of MyLVHN. Simply upload the forms to your account with these steps: How to Add Care Planning Documents to your MyLVHN Account.
Continue to talk about your wishes and update your forms at least once each year or after major life changes. If you update your forms, file and keep your previous versions. Note the date an older copy was replaced by a new one. If you use a registry, make sure the latest version is on record.
Everyone approaches the process differently. Remember to be flexible and take it one step at a time. Start small. For example, try simply talking with your loved ones about what you appreciate and enjoy most about life. Your values, treatment preferences, and even the people you involve in your plan may change over time. The most important part is to start the conversation.