Advance Directives
Information to Help You Take Control of Your Treatment Options
When making decisions for treatment options, it is important to clarify what will happen in cases of certain emergencies. Patients at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas are encouraged to consider some of these options before undergoing surgery and emergency care. By making clear your wishes as to how to proceed, you can help your family and treatment physicians to make decisions in accordance with how you would want them.
When signing an advance directive, have two witnesses present who can verify your wishes. You will never be prohibited from care at Baptist Hospital in Beaumont for not executing an advance directive, nor will this affect your insurance policy. All forms for advance directives are available upon request.
Types of Advance Directives
If you become unconscious or are unable to declare your wishes for medical care, having an advance directive will help us understand how to proceed. Because there are different situations where you may not be able to make a decision then and there, a variety of different advance directives exist.
Advance directives can include:
- Directive to Physicians – Also known as a living will, this order prevents your doctor from prolonging your life if you are dying from a terminal illness. This order can only be enforced once you have been diagnosed with such a condition. If you are unable to make your own wishes, your legal guardian or next-of-kin will do so for you, which is why it is important to let them know your wishes. You can download a Directive to Physicians here.
- Medical Power of Attorney – This directive allows a patient to designate a relative to make healthcare decisions on their behalf if they become incapable to do so. By selecting someone who knows your religious and moral beliefs, they can make decisions for you that would be in accordance with your wishes. You can download a Medical Power of Attorney here.
- Out of Hospital Do Not Resuscitate Order – This order allows a patient to refuse resuscitation if they are outside a hospital. It requires the signature of your attending physician. Download an Out of Hospital Do Not Resuscitate order here.
- Declaration for Mental Health Treatment – In cases where your healthcare treatment results in a need for mental health services, this directive helps you to make clear your wishes regarding how to proceed with care. This form, as well as all the others, can be obtained at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas