Many people believe during emergencies or at the end of life, their loved ones know their wishes regarding medical treatments, life-saving measures, and who should speak for them when they are unable. Unfortunately, this isn’t always true. Advance Care Planning takes the guesswork out of these future decisions by putting your wishes in writing as an advance directive.
MercyOne provides free assistance in the preparation and distribution of your advance directives. Take advantage of this program today for peace of mind tomorrow.
An advance directive is a like a set of instructions for your future medical care. It’s designed to help you and your loved ones during situations when you might be too sick to talk to medical providers about what you want. Think of an advance directive as a way to tell both loved ones and medical professionals your wishes in advance. MercyOne has an advance care planning documentyou can download below for more information or to print for others.
There are usually two parts to an advance care plan:
You can say what treatments you would or wouldn’t want in certain situations. Typically this is in a document called a Living Will and may or may not contain other documents depending on your situation. This might include life saving measures such as CPR (more information available below).
The team at MercyOne is ready to help you complete your advance directives. It’s easy to get started.
Documenting your preferences for medical treatments, life support, and pain management ensure your control over your health care, even in the face of illness. This brings immense peace of mind and lessens anxieties surrounding future medical decisions.
Reduce the burden
During difficult times, loved ones may experience emotional distress and be unsure about your wishes. A clear plan not only honors your wishes, but helps everyone make informed decisions with greater confidence. It provides guidance, eliminates confusion and potential disagreements.
Strengthen bonds
Having open conversations to discuss your health care preferences fosters deeper understanding and respect with those you love. By being proactive, you create a sense of unity and preparedness, allowing everyone to navigate challenging situations with clarity and compassion.
Advance directives should include the documents listed below. We’ve provided links to many of these documents to help you find them quickly. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to fill them out or have questions. The MercyOne team is here to help.
Living Will
This legal document defines the types of medical treatment you do or do not want. Some living will documents are very personal, covering a wide range of topics from your preferences for pain management, medical treatments, life support, and more. If you are unable to communicate, would you like your hand held? Would you like bedside prayers? These are the sorts of questions you can answer in your living will. Five Wishes is a popular tool that helps you answer many of these questions and may be available to you through MercyOne at no charge. Ask your MercyOne health care team what options are available.
Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPOAH)
This document legally designates an individual as your health care agent, to speak on your behalf if you are unable to communicate. The form not only allows you to designate an agent, but to limit the type and scope of decisions they can make. Without the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, your next of kin, such as a spouse or adult son or daughter, will be given the responsibility.
Iowa Physician Orders for Scope of Treament (IPOST)
Those who have a critical illness, are older adults, frail, or in the last stages of an illness should consider supplementing their advance directive with an IPOST. An IPOST is a medical order signed by your health care provider clearly defining your preferences for life-sustaining treatments, such as artificially administered nutrition, CPR, or machine-assisted breathing. Ask your health care team if an IPOST is right for you.
Get started now
MercyOne provides free assistance in obtaining/completing advance directives and guiding you in your advance care planning journey. Our pastoral care team and other trained facilitators have a variety of tools at their disposal to ensure your plan is completed accurately and efficiently. We will also notarize your signature, if necessary, and make sure that a copy of your advance directives are placed in your chart.
Take advantage of this free program by calling MercyOne today using the numbers below. During your call, the MercyOne team will explain the process, answer your questions, and work with you to schedule an appointment. This is a free service provided by MercyOne to assist you and your family if difficult times arise.
If you are unsure of which number to call from the selections below, start with the MercyOne Population Health number and tell them where you are located. They will make sure you are talking to the right team.
For MercyOne Population Health, call: 515-358-9154
For MercyOne Centerville Medical Center, call: 641-437-3436
For Des Moines area MercyOne Spiritual Care, call: 515-247-3238
Important documents and downloads
MercyOne has gathered the following links for your convenience. If these links aren’t working properly, please reach out to the MercyOne team using the phone numbers above and we’ll make sure you get what you need. Be sure to ask your MercyOne health care team what other options, such as Five Wishes, might be available to you.
This project is supported by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) under grant number D0440232, Rural Patient Outreach through Advance Care Planning, for $199,279. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
