|
VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York - VISN 2
Significant Care Issues
Advance Directives
You have the right to make decisions about your health care. An Advance Directive or Living Will can protect this right if you ever become mentally or physically unable to choose, or state your wishes, due to an injury or illness. If you would like information on Advance Directives and/or Living Wills please ask your health care team (provider, nurse, social worker, and chaplain).
If you have a living will or durable power of
attorney, please tell our staff and provide us with
a copy for your file.
If you have completed an advance directive and
you wish to change your mind, please tell our
staff right away. It is also important to know that
you do not have to complete an advance directive
to receive treatment.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)
DNR means cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
and/or other heroic health or life saving measures
will not be started when cardiac or respiratory
arrest occurs. After discussion with your doctor if
you are able, you will make the DNR decision. If
you are too ill to make that decision, your family or
durable power of attorney for health care makes
that decision with your doctor. The DNR order is
not permanent and can be stopped if you change
your mind and inform your doctor. The staff's
concern for your medical needs and comfort will
stay the same. You will be given whatever is needed
to relieve pain and make you comfortable.
Ethics Advisory Committee
Sometimes patients or their caregivers have trouble
making choices about what is best for their health
care. Examples would be whether or not to perform
heroic measures on a patient at the end of life or if a
terminally ill person should have a feeding tube.
The Ethics Advisory Committee is a group of VA
staff that meet to discuss these issues and make
suggestions when the need arises. If you or your
family have questions about the ethics of any treatment
or other issue, you should talk with your
treatment team. If you still have concerns, you
may ask for a review of the issues by the Ethics
Advisory Committee. To request this review, ask a
member of your health care team for a referral to
the Ethics Advisory Committee.
Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation
The Canandaigua VA Medical Center participates in
ongoing programs for organ, eye, tissue, and body
donations. You can give the gift of such donations
to someone in need who would not otherwise lead a
full life. Talk to your family members about organ
and tissue donation so they know your wishes.
Even if you have signed something, your family will be
asked to give consent before donation can occur.
Contact a member of your health care team to
inform them of your wish to donate.
|
|
|
| Reviewed/Updated Date: May 14, 2007 |
|
