Advance care planning is thinking about your hopes for care at the end of your life’s journey and talking about them with persons close to you. It’s a way to help your loved ones make the care decisions you would have made should you no longer be able to speak for yourself.

It is a legal form that allows you to name someone as your health care agent to make medical decisions for you if you are no longer able to. This form is typically completed after an advance care planning discussion and should be reviewed regularly and updated as necessary.

They will know what decisions because of the ongoing conversations they have had with you. Your doctor will also be able to tell your agent about your condition and the risks and benefits of certain treatments. Your agent can speak to an ethical or spiritual advisor if they have questions about the care decisions they believe you would have wanted.

A Living Will only allows you to write directions about life-sustaining treatments for when you are terminally ill or permanently unconscious. It does allow you to name a person to make care decisions for you in other situations, if you are not able to speak for yourself.

No. If you have a Power of Attorney for Health Care document with a person named who you have discussed future care decisions, including directions about life-sustaining treatment, you do not need to complete a Living Will.

No, this would not be true. A Power of Attorney for Health Care is not the same as having a Do Not Resuscitate Order (DNR) order.

State law would be used to identify a surrogate (decision maker) for you. This person may or may not know what kind of care you want at end of life and what decisions you would want to make.

It is a service provided by OSF to help patients plan for their care in the future (called advance care planning), and complete a Power of Attorney for Health Care form. OSF wants to provide you with the kind of care you hope for at the end of your life's journey.

The OSF Care Decisions facilitator is formally trained in advance care planning through coursework, lecture by experts, and return demonstration practice.

The service provides trained OSF advance care planning facilitators to meet with patients and their family member(s) to encourage patients to reflect on their values and beliefs and then describe the care decisions they would make in various situations.

It is important to share what was discussed with your family members and health care providers. You should also give a copy of the discussion record and form to anyone who may be involved in your future care.

You should bring a copy to your health care providers. The forms would be used only in the event you would become unable to speak for yourself. If you are a patient of OSF HealthCare, these documents may already be in your electronic medical record. Make sure to ask your physician to confirm that these are on file in your record.

Contact your OSF Medical Group primary care office to schedule an in-person visit with an OSF Care Decisions facilitator at your convenience.

Existing patients with access to OSF MyChart may schedule directly by logging into their account. Here, you will find additional resources including guidance on preparing for your  conversation with a trained facilitator and the ability to review or upload important documents.

Already have an Advance Directive?

Please bring a copy to your next appointment at OSF.