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You have the right to make decisions about the health care you receive now and in the future. Documents known as "advance directives" are written statements declaring how you want medical decisions made if you can no longer make them for yourself.
Federal law requires that you be told of your right to make an advance directive when you are admitted to a health-care facility. Illinois law allows for the following three types of advance directives: (1) health care power of attorney; (2) living will; and (3) mental health treatment preference declaration. In addition, you can ask your physician to work with you to prepare a DNR order. You may choose to discuss with your health-care professional and/or attorney these different types of advance directives as well as a DNR order.
- Living Will
tells your health-care professional whether you want death-delaying procedures used if you have a terminal condition and are unable to state your wishes.
- The Health Care Power of Attorney
lets you choose someone to make health-care decisions for you in the future, if you are no longer able to make these decisions for yourself.
- A mental health treatment preference declaration
lets you say if you want to receive electroconvulsive treatment (ECT) or psychotropic medicine when you have a mental illness and are unable to make these decisions for yourself. It also allows you to say whether you wish to be admitted to a mental health facility for up to 17 days of treatment.
- A do-not-resuscitate order (DNR)
is a medical treatment order that says cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) will not be used if your heart and/or breathing stops.
You should talk with your family, your health-care professional, your attorney, and any agent or attorney-in-fact that you appoint about your decision to make one or more advance directives or a DNR order. If they know what health care you want, they will find it easier to follow your wishes. If you cancel or change an advance directive or a DNR order in the future, remember to tell these same people about the change or cancellation.
If you would like to receive an Advance Directive packet of information and forms, contact the Community Cancer Center social worker at (309) 451-2217.
Helpful websites providing more information about Advance Directives:
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