Butterfield Residential Care Center's Butterfield Express February 2020 | Page 3

Healthcare Decisions &
Advance Health Care Directives
Advanced Health Care Directives:
What is Advance Health Care Directive?
Advance Health Care Directive is a general term that describes two types of legal documents including
Statutory Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. These documents provide instruc-
tions about future medical care should a person be unable to participate in medical decisions due to seri-
ous illness or incapacity. An Advance Health Care Directive is a document that communicates and ex-
presses an individual’s health care treatment wishes in case a situation develops in which they are unable
to communicate. It describes the kind of care a person wants if they have a critical illness, a terminal ill-
ness or permanent unconsciousness. The state and federal law state that all people have a right to refuse
any medical treatment, including life-prolonging treatment. In addition, a person has the right to name
another person, an agent, to become a decision-maker for healthcare issues in the event he or she is una-
ble to communicate and make decisions.
What is Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care selects an agent who will be a person’s medical decision-
maker to communicate health care decisions that he or she has not specified in the Advance Health Care
Directive. It is similar to a statutory living will or health care directive, but becomes active any time a
person is incapacitated and unable to make decisions for his or herself. An agent is selected to become a
person’s medical decision-maker to communicate health care decisions that he or she has not specified in
his or her Advance Health Care Directive. The document goes into effect only when a person lacks the
ability to make or communicate decisions for his or herself as determined by a physician(s).
The Advance Health Care Directive
The Advance Healthcare Directive is a document in which a person gives instructions about health care
if, in the future, he or she cannot communicate for his or herself. It is a signed, dated and witnessed doc-
ument that allows a person to express health care wishes in advance concerning the use of life-
prolonging procedures. It goes into effect only when a person can no longer make or communicate deci-
sions for his or herself.
Advance Health Care Directives do NOT include a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order.
What is a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR)
A DNR is an order written by a physician instructing healthcare providers not to attempt cardiopulmo-
nary resuscitation (CPR) when a person’s heart and breathing stops. A person with a valid DNR order
will not be given CPR. The DNR must be signed by a physician to be valid.
Butterfield Residential Care Center’s goal is to uphold residents’ healthcare decisions.
Please inform us of any Advance Health Care Directive documents we do not have on file
and of any changes needed to documents previously on file.
Please see Ash Carrel, Tammie Callaway or Tina Dickerson if you would like more
information about Advance Health Care Directives.