This is an educational video on advance directives. It is important to discuss advance directives with your doctor and with your family. The information on this video is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this video is for general information purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Physical Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form is a type of advance directive. You can bring your family to your doctor's visit to discuss advance directives and have POLST form filled out and signed. We all love our families, but some families end up fighting during stressful situations. Discussing advance directives is a difficult yet crucial conversation that can save your family during a crisis. Think of it as a gift to your loved ones. Advance directives are legal documents that allow you to spell out ahead of time what types of medical care you would want if you ever became unable to speak for yourself. This documents can help ensure that you will get the care that you want even if you have an unexpected serious illness or accident. The documents can also make things easier for the people who will need to make decisions for you if you ever become unable to make them for yourself. ARE THERE DIFFERENT KINDS OF ADVANCE DIRECTIVES? Yes. The most useful kinds of advanced directives are: 1. Health care proxy also called the durable power of attorney for healthcare 2. Living will 3. Do not resuscitate/do not intubate order(also called a DNR/DNI) The health care proxy document allows you to choose someone to make medical decisions for you if you become unable to speak for yourself. The benefit of having this document is that it makes your choice of decision-maker clear to your doctors and family members. When you choose a health care proxy, it is important to talk to the person you choose about the things that you do or don't want. That way your decision-maker knows what to do later on if he or she ever has to speak for you. Choose someone who you trust, who can separates his or her own wishes from your own. Chose someone you know would carry out your wishes and advocate for you if that became necessary. Choose someone who could be easily reached and who could handle it if other family members or loved ones wanted you to get treated differently than what you would want. It is also important to choose a second person as an alternate proxy, in case your first choice cannot be reached at the time decisions need to be made. Living Will is the document that tells healthcare providers what type of care you want if you become unable to speak for yourself. Who should have an advance directive? Advance directives are a good idea for anyone, but they are especially important if: 1. You're older than 65. 2. You have a serious life-threatening illness, such as advanced cancer, and stage heart or liver failure. 3. Advance directive is especially important if the person whom you choose as healthcare proxy is not a family member or legally married to you. 4. IF that is the case, the person you would choose might not be allowed to make decisions for you. 5. Unless there is a healthcare proxy, the law usually states that the person's closest family member has the right to make decisions for him or her. It is important to note that a living will only kick in if you are unable to make decisions such as when you're unconscious, or if you're incapacitated. Cognitive impairment does not equate to impaired decision-making capacity. It is essential the capacity be reassessed but your physician prior to any major decisions if in doubt. Medical power of attorney is valid only when a patient does not have capacity. It is important to discuss your advance directives with your family before major life event happens. Sources: UpToDate 2019, www.wsma.org/POLST