- St. John's Hospital
- Advance Directives
Advance Directives
Declaración de la Ley de Illinois respecto a las Directrices Anticipadas
An advance directive tells your doctor what kind of care you would like to have if you become unable to make medical decisions (if you are in a coma, for example). If you are admitted to St. John’s Hospital, our staff will ask you if you have any advance directives. If you do not have advance directives, but would like to learn more, a member of our staff will visit your hospital room to explain these important forms.
An advance directive describes the kind of treatment you would want depending on how sick you are. For example, the directives would describe what kind of care you want if you have an illness that you are unlikely to recover from, or if you are permanently unconscious. Advance directives usually tell your doctor that you don't want certain kinds of treatment. However, they can also say that you want a certain treatment no matter how ill you are.
Even if you are in good health, you might want to consider completing an advance directive. An accident or serious illness can happen suddenly, and if you already have a signed advance directive, your wishes are more likely to be followed.
Two common advance directives are a Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care.
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A Living Will only goes into effect when you are terminally ill. Being terminally ill generally means that you have less than six months to live. In a Living Will, you can describe the kind of treatment you want in certain situations. A Living Will does not allow you to select someone to make decisions for you.
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A Power of Attorney for Health Care document lets your healthcare provider know whom you have chosen to make healthcare decisions for you. It becomes active any time you are unconscious or unable to make medical decisions. A Power for Attorney for Health Care is more useful than a Living Will.
Click here for a step-by-step guide to completing the Illinois Power of Attorney form for Health Care in Illinois.
For more information on Advance Directives
Pastoral Care at 217-525-5675 or email to pastoralcare@st-johns.org.