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Advance Directives

Health Care Power of Attorney Living Will Living Will & Power of Attorney

 

MercyOne will follow the medical treatment decisions you or your advocate make after consulting with a physician, provided that your decisions meet accepted medical practice and current ethical standards.

Our policy extends to withholding and withdrawing of medical treatment — for example, respirators, medically provided food or water or antibiotics. We will provide measures to treat pain and make patients comfortable, even if the decision is to withhold or withdraw other medical treatment.

An Advance Directive is a document that explains your wishes regarding treatment in case you are not able to make health care decisions.

Iowa law recognizes two kinds of Advance Directive documents:

  • A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is a document that allows you to name another person (called an agent or attorney-in-fact) to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to speak for yourself. If your wishes are not known, your attorney-in-fact or agent must make decisions that are in your best interests.
  • A Living Will is a document that lets you tell your physician which life-sustaining procedures should be withheld or withdrawn if you have a terminal condition and are unable to speak for yourself.

Both documents take affect only when you cannot make health care decisions for yourself. Both documents must be signed by you and two witnesses, or notarized.

We would be happy to provide you with the forms for either a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care or a Living Will. We will answer your questions, and help you to complete an Advance Directive, at no charge. You can revoke (cancel) your Advance Directive at any time by informing your physician verbally or in writing, or by asking a member of your health care team to do so.

Download The Forms

You can download the forms using the buttons above or by visiting the Iowa State Bar Association website at www.iowabar.org. 

You can also write to request forms at: Iowa Bar Association, 625 East Court Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50309.

Our chaplains are available to explain the process, answer your questions, properly notarize your signature and make sure that a copy of your advance directives is placed in your chart.