Quality Care
communication
Shared decision-making
TIPS to make decisions
Discharge/TranSfer
Informed consent
End of life
"The battle of being mortal is the battle to maintain the integrity of one’s life."
Atul Gawande
Vital Questions for Difficult Moments
En Español | When faced with difficult moments when our loved ones are seriously ill, the following questions can shade some light and provide some guidance to family members and care providers.
Do you understand the situation and its potential outcomes?
What are your fears and what are your hopes?
What are the things you can give up, and what you cannot give up?
What is the best course of action to fulfill your desires?
Advance Directives
An advance directive is a written instruction in which a person selects a health care proxy and outlines the health services that may be provided to them in the event they become incompetent.
An official Advance Directive can be found here , or by visiting the Forms section of this site.
advance directives include:
Power of Attorney for Health care or Health care Proxy: You name a person that will make health decisions on your behalf, if you are unable to do so. It can be a family member or someone you trust, but not your doctor or any member of your health care team. It specifies if and when passive measures to hasten death will be used, including the withdraw of resuscitation aids, of hydration and/or food, not using feeding tubes, and not using palliative forms of surgery. They may also state if a person wants to donate their body for medical training.
Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Affairs: Gives a designated person the authority to make financial decisions on their behalf.
Do Not Resuscitate orders: For in-hospital and out-of-hospital use. If you are admitted to the hospital, you just need to tell the doctor your wishes, and they will fill out a DNR in the hospital.
Living Wills: Informs about the treatments you would and would not want to be used on you to keep you alive, as well as any preferences on medical decisions, such as pain managements or organ donation.
Medical Decisions to be addressed in Living Wills
The following medical decisions should be addressed in the Living Will, decide when you would like to have them implemented, and for how long.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) restarts the heart with electric shock or heart stimulation.
Mechanical Ventilation: takes over your breathing if you are unable to breath on your own.
Tube Feeding: Supplies the body with nutrients and fluids intravenously or via a tube in the stomach.
Dialysis: removes waste from your body when your kidneys are unable to do so.
Antibiotics or Antiviral medications: If you are near the end of life, would you want the infection be treated aggressively or would you rather let it run its course?
Comfort Care or Palliative Care: Includes any intervention that will keep you comfortable and manage pain at the end of life. This may include receiving pain medication, being fed ice chips to smooth mouth dryness, avoiding invasive treatments, etc.
Organ and Tissue donation: For transplants, you will need to be kept on life-sustaining treatment temporarily until the transplant procedure is complete. You may want to state that you understand this procedure in your living will to avoid confusions.
Donating your body: For scientific study. Contact a local medical school, university or donation program for information on how to register. Once you have completed your registration, you should give a copy to your doctor, your healthcare agent, and keep a copy on your phone specially if you are traveling. Make your wishes known to your family members. You can find a sample of Advance Directives here.
Resources
Advance Directive Forms
They provide Advance Directive forms that you can fill out, conforming state laws.
A will or advance directive is created for free after filling out a questionnaire. This info is converted into legalese, ready to be signed in front of witnesses.
Advanced Directives in Digital Format
Create Advance Directives and store them in the cloud, it can be used worldwide. Hospitals that are linked to MyDirectives can access your care preferences when you are admitted.
Florida State Information
Information on Do Not Resuscitate Orders (DNRO)
Phone: (850) 245.4440
Hospice and Palliative Care
Find a Palliative care provider through their directory.