Asian American Community Services

   Advance Directives and End-of-Life Decisions 

Do you have a written plan stating what health care treatments you would or would not want if you could not speak for yourself?

Most Americans – 88 percent – feel comfortable discussing issues relating to death and dying*, yet only 42% have a living will*

*National Survey on Death, Dying, and Hospice Care in America, VITAS Innovative Healthcare, 2004 

  What are Advance Directives?

"Advance directive" is a general term that refers to a person's verbal and written instructions about future medical care, in the event that the person becomes unable to speak for him or herself. Each state regulates the use of advance directives differently. There are several types of advance directives available in Ohio: the Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney , Ohio's Do-Not-Resuscitate law, and Organ and Tissue Donation.

 Why do I need an advance directive?

Advance directives give you a voice in decisions about your medical care when you are unconscious or too ill to communicate. As long as you are able to express your own decisions, your advance directives will not be used and you can accept or refuse any medical treatment. But if you become seriously ill, you may lose the ability to participate in decisions about your own treatment.

 What laws govern the use of advance directives?

 Both federal and state laws govern the use of advance directives. The federal law, the Patient Self-Determination Act, requires health care facilities that receive Medicaid and Medicare funds to inform patients of their rights to execute advance directives. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws recognizing the use of advance directives. The booklet, "Questions and Answers: Advance Directives and End-of-Life Decisions," available from Choice In Dying, offers more information about advance directives.

Write down your wishes!  Living Well at the End of Life

Resouce links:

Hospice Care: An Option for people with Terminal Ilness -Ohio Health

Ohio Health Home Reach Hospice

National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization