Advance Directives

Advance Directives are about making choices for your medical care. They are ways to leave instructions for your care if you become unable to speak for yourself. They are conversations with your family, friends and physician about your desires regarding end of life care and the values that are important to you. They are also legal instruments for recording specific instructions about whom you wish to make medical decisions for you and the choices you would wish that person to make.

Vermont law recognizes two advance directive documents: the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPA/HC)and the Terminal Care Document, or Living Will. The DPA/HC allows you to name the person you would like to be your decision maker when you can no longer decide for yourself. The living will expresses your desires regarding life support and resuscitation. You can fill out these documents on your own, as long as the forms are properly witnessed. You don’t need a notary or a lawyer, although you should feel free to consult a private lawyer, or if you qualify, the Vermont Legal Aid office nearest you.

The State of Vermont also has a registry for advance directives that makes these documents available to hospitals and health care providers in the event of an emergency. For people who travel or have seasonal residences out of state, this insures that your wishes will be known in the event of an emergency outside your local community. For information or forms, visit http://healthvermont.gov/vadr/

Information on these documents may be obtained from your physician, nursing facility, the VNA or North Country Hospital. Most of these agencies have booklets explaining the documents and sample forms. Some also have worksheets which explore your particular values and how you would express these values in certain types of medical decisions. These worksheets, while not part of the legal documents, are important in helping your physician and family members know what you would like them to do when you are no longer able to tell them yourself.

Workshops on advance directives are periodically held through the Wellness Center at North Country Hospital.  If you wish further information about the workshops or are interested in attending, please contact the Wellness Center through the hospital at 334-5566.

The Vermont Ethics Network publishes a booklet called Taking Steps to Plan for Critical Health Care Decisions that discusses advance directives and the choices involved. If you wish a free copy of this booklet, please click here and supply your name and address with booklet request.

Signing a DPA/HC or Living Will is not enough. You must discuss your choices with your family, decision maker and physician and make sure that appropriate people have copies of the documents. If you are part of the North Country Hospital community, a copy should be sent or brought to North Country Hospital where it becomes a permanent part of your medical record. If you wish, you may register a copy with the Vermont Advance Directive Registry that will make your document available to health providers in the event of an emergency. When you make changes or update your documents, these same people should know.