TriValley Primary Care — Advance Directive Guide

The following information regarding advanced directives is presented for your information. Medicare and some other health plans encourage their subscribers specifying their preferences in such matters in advance.

An advance directive is a document or documents informing your caregivers what type of care you would like to receive in the event you are unable to make a medical decision. A Living Will, a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR), and a Durable Power of Attorney (DPA) are types of advance directives.

A living will is a legal document that describes the type of medical treatments you would like to receive if you are or become terminally ill.

A DNR is an order to your physicians requesting they not perform any cardiopulmonary resuscitation if you stop breathing or your heart stops beating.

A durable power of attorney (DPA) declares who you would like to make medical decisions for you. It is only activated if you are unconscious or otherwise unable to make medical decisions for yourself.

You do not need an attorney to document your Advanced Directives, but your attorney should be made aware of your decisions.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Health has a document available for you to document your Advanced Directives. It details your rights and prerogatives as well as provides a means to prepare an advanced directive.

The Pennsylvania Medical Society has prepared a somewhat simpler advanced directive document for download as a sample for your use.

Your TriValley provider would like a copy of your advanced directive. You may mail it or bring it with you on your next visit.

FamilyDoctor.org is the main source of above information.

For additional information on advanced directives in Pennsylvania, please visit the Pennsylvania Medical Society’s patient website.