Advance Directives

Advance Directives for Health care provide you an opportunity and right to refuse medical treatment you do not wish to receive or to request the treatment you do want in the event that you lose your ability to make decisions on your own.

The state of Kansas recognizes 2 types of advance directives:

• Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPOA)
• Living Will

A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions is a legal document where the patient designates an Agent to make health care decisions, including the decision to consent or refuse to consent to emergency care. This document will tell your attending physician when the Agent can make health care decisions. The DPOA is not effective until the patient is "impaired" as determined by the attending physician. Do not sign the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care Decisions form unless you clearly understand it.

The Kansas Living Will is a written instrument that contains your directions to physicians and family members regarding types of medical care you want or do not want in case you are incapacitated or unconscious and cannot communicate with the world. In your Living Will, you can decide whether you want any specific life-preserving procedures, such as surgery, dialysis, CPR or tube feedings.

We encourage you to review these documents with your physician and provide updated copies to our HIM Department. They can be mailed or brought into our Medical Records Department.

Kansas Advanced Directives