A health care directive, sometimes called an advanced directive or living will, details your personal, emotional and spiritual needs regarding your medical care. It lets you name the person you want to make your health care decisions if you are not able to make them for yourself. You must be at least 18 years old to make a health care directive.
The Five Wishes advanced directive booklet lets you specify exactly what you want in an easy-to-use format. It is unique among all other living will and health agent forms because it looks to all of a person's needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also encourages discussing your wishes with your family and physician.
When you complete this document, you control something very important — how you are to be treated if you become seriously ill.
Five Wishes lets your family and doctors know:
- Which person you want to make health care decisions for you when you can't make them
- The kind of medical treatment you want or don't want
- How comfortable you want to be
- How you want people to treat you
- What you want your loved ones to know
Ridgeview provides the Five Wishes living will free of charge to you. Be sure to contact our Social Services Department at (952) 442-2191, ext. 6190 to obtain yours. Then, take time to consider and complete the document in the privacy of your home. And be sure to bring it with you for your hospital stay.
For more information on the Five Wishes document, visit the Aging With Dignity Web site.