ADVANCE DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS AND FAMILY OR SURROGATES


ADVANCE DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS AND FAMILY OR SURROGATES
INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THIS DOCUMENT:
This is an important legal document known as an Advance Directive. It is designed to help you communicate your wishes about medical treatment at some time in the future when you are unable to make your wishes known because of illness or injury. These wishes are usually based on personal values. In particular, you may want to consider what burdens or hardships of treatment you would be willing to accept for a particular amount of benefit obtained if you were seriously ill.
You are encouraged to discuss your values and wishes with your family or chosen spokesperson, as well as your physician. Your physician, other healthcare provider, or medical institution may provide you with various resources to assist you in completing your advance directive. Brief definitions are listed below and may aid you in your discussions and advance planning. Initial the treatment choices that best reflect your personal preferences. Provide a copy of your directive to your physician, usual hospital (upon admission), and family or spokesperson. You may make multiple copies of this directive and sign each copy in ink. Consider a periodic review of this document. By periodic review, you can best assure that the directive reflects your preferences.
In addition to this advance directive, Texas law provides for two other types of advance directives that can be important during a serious illness. These are the Medical Power of Attorney and the Out-of-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate Order. You may wish to discuss these with your physician, family, hospital representative, or other advisors. You may also with to complete a directive related to the donation or organs and tissues.
DEFINITIONS:
“Terminal Condition”- means an incurable condition caused by injury, disease, or illness that according to reasonable medical judgement will produce death within six months. Even with available life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with the prevailing standard of medical care.
Explanation: Many serious illnesses may be considered irreversible early in the course of the illness, but they may not be considered terminal until the disease is fairly advanced. In thinking about terminal illness and its treatment, you again may wish to consider the relative benefits and burdens of treatment and discuss your wishes with your physician, family, or other important person in your life.
“Irreversible Condition”- means a condition, injury or illness:
1.That may be treated, but is never cured or eliminated;
2.That leaves a person unable to care for or make decisions for the person’s own self; and
3.That, without life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with the prevailing standard of medical care, is fatal.
Explanation: Many serious illnesses such as cancer, failure of major organs (kidney, heart, liver, or lung), and serious brain disease such as Alzheimer’s dementia may be considered irreversible early on. There is no cure, but the patient may be kept alive for prolonged periods of time if the patient receives life-sustaining treatments. Late in the course of the same illness, the disease may be considered terminal when, even with treatment, the patient is expected to die. You may wish to consider which burdens of treatment you would be willing to accept in an effort to achieve a particular outcome. This is a very personal decision that you may wish to discuss with your physician, family, or other important person in your life.
“Life Sustaining Treatment” – means treatment that, based on reasonable medical judgement, sustains the life of a patient and without which the patient will die. The term includes both life-sustaining medications and artificial life support such as mechanical breathing machines, kidney dialysis treatment, and artificial hydration and nutrition. The term does not include the administration of pain management medication, the performance of a medical procedure is necessary to provide comfort care, or any other medical care provided to alleviate a patient’s pain.
“Artificial Nutrition and Hydration” – means the provision of nutrients or fluids by a tube inserted in a vein, under the skin in the subcutaneous tissues, or in the stomach (gastrointestinal tract). Some artificial nutrition tubes may be placed in the stomach through the nose and throat; other artificial nutrition tubes are placed in the stomach or gastrointestinal tract surgically, through an incision made
in the abdominal wall.

I, recognize that the best health care is based upon a
partnership of trust and communication with my physician. My physician and I will make health care decisions
together as long as I am of sound mind and able to make my wishes known. If there comes a time that I am
unable to make medical decisions about myself because of illness or injury, I direct that the following treatment
preferences be honored:
TERMINAL CONDITION
If, in the judgement of my physician, I am suffering with a terminal condition from which I am expected to die
within six months, even with available life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance with prevailing
standards of medical care:
I request that all treatments other than those needed to help keep me comfortable be initials
discontinued or withheld and my physician allow me to die as gently as possible;
--- OR ---
I request that I be kept alive in this terminal condition using available life-sustaining
initials treatment. (THIS SELECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO HOSPICE CARE.)
IRREVERSABLE CONDITION
If, in the judgment of my physician, I am suffering with an irreversible condition so that I cannot care for myself
or make decisions for myself and am expected to die without life-sustaining treatment provided in accordance
with prevailing standards of care:
I request that all treatments other than those needed to help keep me comfortable be
initials discontinued or withheld and my physician allow me to die as gently as possible;
--- OR ---
I request that I be kept alive in this terminal condition using available life-sustaining
initials treatment. (THIS SELECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO HOSPICE CARE.)
Additional requests: (After discussion with your physician, you may wish to consider listing particular
treatments in this space that you do or do not want in specific circumstances, such as artificial nutrition and
fluids, intravenous antibiotics, etc. Be sure to state whether you do or do not want the particular treatment.)
I (do) (do not) wish to receive these treatments: 


After signing this directive, if my representative or I elect hospice care, I understand and agree
that only those treatments needed to keep me comfortable would be provided and I would not be given
available life-sustaining treatments.

If I do not have a Medical Power of Attorney, and I am unable to make my wishes known, I designate
the following person(s) to make treatment decisions with my physician compatible with my personal
values:

(If a Medical Power of Attorney has been executed, then an agent already has been named and you should not list additional names in this document.) Please provide a copy of your Medical Power of Attorney to your physician and hospital. If the above persons are not available, or if I have not designated a spokesperson, I understand that a spokesperson will be chosen for me following standards specified in the laws of Texas. If, in the judgement of my physician, my death is imminent within minutes to hours, even with the use of all available medical treatment provided within the prevailing standard of care, I acknowledge that all treatments may be withheld or removed except those needed to maintain my
comfort.
I understand that under Texas law this directive has no effect if I have been diagnosed as pregnant
This directive will remain in effect until I revoke it. No other person may do so.

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Document name: ADVANCE DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS AND FAMILY OR SURROGATES
lock iconUnique Document ID: 01010c213aa0cce2777f581225a546e4142a41fb
Timestamp Audit
October 5, 2023 10:17 am CDTADVANCE DIRECTIVE TO PHYSICIANS AND FAMILY OR SURROGATES Uploaded by Brent Kirkendall - esign@atriummedicalcenter.com IP 75.148.173.93
October 5, 2023 10:18 am CDT Document owner esign@atriummedicalcenter.com has handed over this document to Niraj.Patel@atriummedicalcenter.com 2023-10-05 10:18:18 - 75.148.173.93