Planning And Decisions

Mission of Mercy Hospice is here to assist you in the planning and decision making process. Prior to entering hospice the patient should understand the treatment and express their values and wishes. There are legal documents known as advance directives to help honor the wishes of the patient throughout the process.

A Power of Attorney is a document in which a competent person gives an adult (18yrs or older) the right to act legally on the grantor’s behalf to handle financial affairs.  This document expires at the time of death.

We encourage the patient to talk to his family and a doctor to communicate how they wish to be treated if they are seriously ill. This is helpful for the family as well because there are no longer any ambiguities when making difficult decisions without sufficient information.  The document included information such as:

• Who should make health decisions for the patient when the patient can no longer make them
• The kind of medical treatment desired
• How comfortable the patient is
• How people should treat you
• What the loved ones should know.

Before or during hospice we encourage the patient to seek legal counsel for the following documents:

• Medical Durable Power of Attorney
  A legal document that authorizes another adult (18yrs or older) to make medical and health decisions for the patient when the patient is incapacitated. This document does not need to be prepared by an attorney, does not have to be notarized, or witnessed.
• California Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Directive
  This document dictates that health care personal may NOT perform CPR on you, must be signed by the patient and the doctor.
• Proxy Decision Maker
  If the patient is unable to make decisions about personal health care and a Medical Durable Power of Attorney has not been appointed, someone else must provide directive in decision-making selected by consensus of family members and interested persons.
• Durable Power of Attorney
  Simply means that the Power of Attorney stays in effect if the patient becomes incapacitated, disabled, or incompetent and is unable to handle matters on their own. This document must be notarized to be affective.
• Living Will
  This document instructs the doctor regarding the use of artificial life support measures if the patient is no longer able to make medical decisions.