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An Advance Medical Directive could be a living will or a medical power of attorney. Either document allows you to give directions about your future medical care. It is your right to accept or refuse medical care. Advance directives can protect this right if you ever become mentally or physically unable to choose or communicate your wishes due to an injury or illness. For more information regarding Advanced Medical Directives, please contact Jeremy Roy at 830.401.7567.

Two Types of Advance Directives

  1. Living Will
    These are written instructions that explain your wishes regarding healthcare should you have a terminal or irreversible condition. They are called living wills because they take effect while a patient is still alive.
  2. Medical Power of Attorney
    In a written document, you can name a person to be your healthcare agent. This agent will make decisions for you if you become unable to do so.

Note: Out of Hospital DNR (Do Not Resuscitate)
An Out of Hospital DNR is NOT an Advance Directive. It is an actual order from your physician. It directs that you not be resuscitated out of the hospital regardless of the condition of your health. These orders are usually reserved for individuals who are terminally or irreversibly ill and possibly receiving Hospice Care. This form when presented to any Emergency Medical Personnel will stop them from providing any treatment (i.e. CPR, defibrillation, artificial ventilation) that would restore any cardiac or respiratory function.

Advance Directives help:

  • You protect your right to make medical choices that can affect your life.  
  • Your family avoids the responsibility and stress of making difficult decisions.
  • Your physician by providing guidelines for your care.

Advance Directives Can Help People in Extreme Conditions

Someone you know may be unable to communicate due to:

  • Irreversible Brain Damage or brain disease, which affects the ability to think as well as communicate.
  • Permanent Coma or other unconscious state, without hope of recovery.
  • Terminal or irreversible illness a condition from which a person is expected to die within a short period of time (6 months).

Advance Directives can Limit Life-Prolonging Measures

When there is little or no chance of recovery, Advance Directives may enable patients to make their feelings known about:

  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) used to restore stopped breathing and/or heartbeat.
  • Intravenous (IV) Therapy used to provide food, water and/or medication through a tube placed in a vein.
  • Feeding Tubes inserted through the nose, or into the stomach to provide nutrition.
  • Respirators – machines used to keep patients breathing.
  • Dialysis – a method of cleaning the patient’s blood by use of a machine when kidneys no longer work properly.

Let your values be your guide.

When creating advance directives, consider what is important to you.
Do any of the following statements express how you think you would feelif you were near death?
It’s important for me to:

  • die without pain and suffering
  • be able to make my own decisions
  • leave my family with good memories
  • not burden my family with difficult decisions
  • act according to my religious beliefs
  • be with my loved ones at death.

How can I complete an Advance Directive?

  • Put your wishes in writing.
    You can obtain forms from the Department of Pastoral Care – 401-7567.
  • Sign and date your advance directives.
    The signing of each document must be witnessed by two people. The first witness cannot be a relative or anyone providing direct healthcare to you. There are no limitations on who can sign as the second witness. In the state of Texas, these documents do not have to be notarized.
  • Give your physician/hospital a copy.
    Your Healthcare provider should receive a copy to be kept on file as a courtesy. Also give copies to anyone named as agent or alternate agent in your advance directive.
  • Discuss your advance directives.
    Talk to your family, friends and agent. Give copies to a relative or friend who is likely to be notified in an emergency. REVIEW YOUR DIRECTIVES REGULARLY AND MAKE CHANGES AS NECESSARY. INFORM EVERYONE OF THOSE CHANGES.

Questions and Answers.

What if I change my mind after I fill out my advance directives?
If you are a competent adult, you can always change or cancel your advance directives. In some cases, you may even cancel them verbally.

My relative has valid advance directives – can I prevent them from taking effect?
Generally no, unless you can prove that the relative was not thinking clearly when he or she created them.