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VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York - VISN 2
Significant Care Issues
Advance Directives
You have the right to make decisions about your
health care. You have the right to accept or refuse
medical care. To be sure we do what you wish, it is
important we know in advance what you want done.
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, which includes living wills and
health care proxy, please ask your health care team
(doctor, nurse, social worker, chaplain).
If you have a living will or durable power of
attorney, 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.
You do not have to complete an advance directive
to receive treatment.
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)/Other Limitations of Treatment
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) means that cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) and/or other heroic
health or life saving measures will not be started
when cardiac or respiratory arrest occurs. After
talking 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 power of attorney can
make that decision with your doctor. The DNR
order is not permanent. It can be stopped if you
change your mind and inform your provider. The
health care team'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. You will also have the option of
limiting aggressive treatment short of CPR.
Ethics 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 meets to discuss these problems and make
suggestions when the need arises. If you or your
family has questions about the ethics of any treatment
or other issue, talk with your health care 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 your health care team for a
referral to the Ethics Advisory Committee.
Advanced Illness/FairCare
Facing an illness that is advancing (it is not getting
better and cannot be cured) can be very hard. You
may have many questions about your illness and the
choices you must make. The Advanced Illness
Coordinator can meet with you and your family to
talk about your concerns. This program can help
you obtain information, offer support and guidance,
help you with your choices, coordinate your care,
work with your health care team, and help you and
your loved ones deal with issues of advanced illness.
This team can help you sort out the details to give
you choices, dignity, and peace of mind.
You may initiate this consultation or ask a member
of the health care team to contact the Advanced
Illness Coordinator for you.
Anatomical Gift Program (Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation)
The Bath VA Medical Center provides veterans the
opportunity to make organ, eye, tissue, body, and
other anatomical gifts to someone in need that
would not otherwise lead a full life. Talk to your
family members about organ and tissue donation so
they know your wishes. Donations will always be
handled with discretion and sensitivity to you and
your family's circumstances, beliefs and desires.
Under no circumstances will a patient or family
member be pressured into making anatomical gifts.
Contact a member of your health care team to
inform them of your wish to donate.
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| Reviewed/Updated Date: December 28, 2006 |
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