Advanced Directives
Advance Care Planning is a process, not an event, and is planning for future care based on a person’s values, beliefs, preferences, and specific medical issues. An Advance Directive is the record of that process.
Discussing Advanced Care Planning and filling out an Advance Directive is incredibly important for people of all ages and stages in life. Below are guides to the various stages:
- You are healthy. You want to complete an advance directive so, if something suddenly happens and you can’t speak for yourself, others will know what you want in general terms. If nothing else, COVID has taught us that unexpected things happen.
- You have a chronic condition. You also want to complete an advance directive. Because you know about your disease and its course, you can be more specific in saying what you do and don’t want.
- You have a serious illness. You also want to complete an advance directive. Because you know about your disease and its course, you can be more specific in saying what you do and don’t want. Depending on the predicted course, you may also want to complete a POLST.
- You know that you don’t have long. An advance directive may be useful as it contains more information and nuance than the POLST, but you definitely want a POLST, which is signed by a physician and specifies what treatments you want and don’t want at the end of life.
The Oregon Health Authority has a specific Advance Directive form that acts as a legal document in the state once notarized or signed in the presence of two witnesses. They also provide a quick guide to completing this form. These two documents are available for download here:
Oregon Advance Directive – CaringInfo
Additional Resources
PREPARE is a patient-directed, easy-to-use, online, secure, advance care planning program that uses video stories to help people prepare for health care communication and decision making. Oregon does require specific sections to be included in a legally binding Advance Directive but PREPARE can provide a more extensive explanatory guide in completing the required forms. https://prepareforyourcare.org/en/welcome
The Peaceful Presence Project can assist with End-of-Life Planning. Visit their website to review the services they provide and submit a request. https://thepeacefulpresenceproject.org/
They have an advance care planning guide called “End Notes,” that is an evidence-based, holistic end of life planning notebook that is organized into four sections: mind, body, heart and loved ones, to help guide you in gathering the documents your loved ones will need, and the wishes you want honored, into one place.
Cake is an online resource for end-of-life planning, processing loss & grief, and exploring mortality. They have experts that can assist you with the process of comprehensive advance care planning for a fee, but they also have an abundance of free resources available. https://www.joincake.com/welcome/
CaringInfo is an online resource provided by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. They have guides and resources to better understand and discuss topics like advance directives, palliative care, caregiving and hospice care. https://www.caringinfo.org/