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 You can decide--right now--what medical treatment you want or don't want, and you can tell that decision to your doctor and your loved ones so that if you become too sick or unable to tell them, they'll know what you want them to do. Unless you do something, your health care decisions will be made by someone else if you become unable to consent to or refuse your medical treatments for yourself. In Indiana, these decisions may be made by whomever your doctor talks to in your immediate family (meaning your spouse, parent, adult child, brother or sister) or by a person appointed by a court.
You can make and write down your own decisions about your future medical treatment if you wish. Or you can choose a person to make these decisions for you when you are not able to do so. You can even disqualify someone you don't want to make any health decisions for you. You can do these things by having what is called an advance directive. Advance directives are documents you can complete to protect your rights, determine your medical treatment and help your family and doctor understand your wishes about your health care.
For your convenience, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers (Beech Grove, Indianapolis, Mooresville, Indiana) offers advance directive forms that are legal for the state of Indiana. For more information or to get help in completing the following forms, please call and ask for a chaplain in Spiritual Care at (317) 783-8356.
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