Chapter 42 Advance Directives

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 2 Overview  Advance Directives  Types of Advance Directives  Standard Comfort Measures

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 3 Advance Directives  Every patient has the right to control his own body  Any person with profound disabilities may decide to have an advance directive

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 4 Types of Advance Directives  Living wills  Durable power of attorney  Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders  Health care proxy  Out-of-hospital DNR

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 5 Standard Comfort Measures  Supportive care designed to ease the patient’s suffering  Hospice programs often work with families of terminally ill persons to provide comfort care

© 2005 by Thomson Delmar Learning,a part of The Thomson Corporation. All Rights Reserved 6 Stop and Review  What is an advance directive and what are the various types of advance directives?  What is a comfort measure?  What should an EMT do for a terminally ill patient without an advance directive or who has an incomplete advance directive?