Ethical Issues: Assistance
with Making Advanced Medical Decisions

Living Will and Power of Attorney Services for Hospice Patients

Mountain Hospice is pleased to have an exceptional social services team available to assist you with a variety of ethical issues that you are likely to face during this difficult time, including making advanced medical decisions, advance directives, living wills, POST forms, and various powers of attorney. When dealing with a terminal illness, you likely have many questions regarding medical rights and legal authorizations. Our caring and extensively trained social services team is able to assist hospice patients and their families with the process of making the best choice for each individual’s unique situation.

Control Medical Treatments and End of Life Care with a Living Will

A living will is an advance directive that allows you to document and control what medical treatments you want during your end-of-life care. This legal document expresses your medical wishes and will be followed by your healthcare providers. Rules governing advance directives vary from state to state, so it is important to complete the appropriate paperwork to ensure compliance with state requirements. Advance directives do not expire. However, if you decide to change your wishes, a new document can be completed at anytime.

Designate a Healthcare Proxy with a Medical Power of Attorney

A medical power of attorney is an advance directive that is completed while the person is alert and oriented. A medical power of attorney designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf (by proxy) regarding your health care. The completion of the medical power of attorney must be witnessed and notarized. ALL Mountain Hospice social workers are notary publics and perform this service free for our patients, families, and any member of the community wishing to complete a medical power of attorney.

Specify End of Life Medical Treatment with a POST Form

A POST form is a physician’s order for scope of treatment and is an advance directive that allows you to document what medical treatments you want and do not want during your end-of-life care. This legal document specifies your precise medical wishes. It will be stored in your medical record and will be followed by your healthcare providers.

How to Ensure that Your Medical Decisions Are Followed

At Mountain Hospice, we encourage our patients and their loved ones to have open and honest conversations concerning advance directives. Communication provides clarity and a legal basis to help ensure that your end-of-life wishes will be followed. Mountain Hospice’s caring and compassionate social workers are available to provide advice regarding necessary requirements when choosing advance directives. Contact us at 1 (888) 763-7789 for assistance with your advance directive needs, questions, and concerns.