Respecting Choices at Beaumont certified facilitators are available to guide you through the conversation and completion of an advance directive. We offer these services free of charge. If you choose to meet with your doctor there may be a cost. Please
speak to your doctor’s office or your insurance company.
It may not be easy to complete an advance directive but millions of people have done it successfully and you can too. Sharing your wishes and values can be a gift to your family and friends.
Questions to Consider
- Have I let my family know what my wishes are?
- If I cannot communicate for myself, who should communicate for me?
- Do I want doctors and other health care providers to try some, but not all of the treatments?
- Does my family and friends know what living well means to me?
- Would I want CPR, IV nutrition and feeding tubes to help keep me alive, regardless of my physical or mental condition?
What is advance care planning?
Advanced care planning is a process that begins with a conversation. Respecting Choices at Beaumont certified facilitators are available to guide you through the process. It involves sharing your values and beliefs with your chosen patient advocate and
doctor. Successful completion results in an advance directive legal document.
What is an advance directive?
The advance directive is a legal document that describes your specific preferences for medical treatments in case you are unable to do this. Your advance directive, also called a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care, will only be used if you become
so sick or injured you cannot communicate your wishes yourself. The advance directive starts with listing a patient advocate to make decisions for you when you are no longer able and includes additional optional documentation regarding preferences
for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), life support and organ donation.