[Health Care Directive] Oregon

Using these Materials

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

1. Check to be sure that you have the materials for each state in which you may receive health care.

2. These materials include:
   • Instructions for preparing your advance directive, please read all the instructions.
   • Your state-specific advance directive forms, which are the pages with the gray instruction bar on the left side.

ACTION STEPS

1. You may want to photocopy or print a second set of these forms before you start so you will have a clean copy if you need to start over.

2. When you begin to fill out the forms, refer to the gray instruction bars — they will guide you through the process.

3. Talk with your family, friends, and physicians about your advance Be sure the person you appoint to make decisions on your behalf understands your wishes.

4. Once the form is completed and signed, photocopy the form and give it to the person you have appointed to make decisions on your behalf, your family, friends, health care providers, and/or faith leaders so that the form is available in the event of an emergency.

5. You may also want to save a copy of your form in an online personal health records application, program, or service that allows you to share your medical documents with your physicians, family, and others who you want to take an active role in your advance care planning.

INTRODUCTION TO YOUR OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE

This packet contains a legal document, the Oregon Advance Directive, that protects your right to refuse medical treatment you do not want, or to request treatment you do want, in the event you lose the ability to make decisions yourself. You can complete Part B, Part C, or both, depending on your advance-planning needs. You must complete Part D.

Part A of your Oregon Advance Directive contains important information that you should read before completing your document.

Part B of your Oregon Advance Directive is the Appointment of Health Care Representative. This section lets you name someone to make decisions about your medical care—including decisions about life support—if you can no longer speak for yourself. The appointment of health care representative is especially useful because it appoints someone to speak for you any time you are unable to make your own medical decisions, not only at the end of life.

Your appointment of health care representative goes into effect when your doctor determines that you are no longer able to make or communicate your health care decisions.

Part C of your Oregon Advance Directive is for Health Care Instructions. This section functions as a living will. It lets you state your wishes about medical care in the event that you can no longer make your own medical decisions and you are close to death, permanently unconscious, have an advanced progressive illness, or if life support would cause you extraordinary suffering.

Your health care instructions go into effect when your doctor determines that you are no longer able to make or communicate your health care decisions, and a condition you have given instructions on arises.

Part D contains the signature and witnessing provisions so that your document will be effective.

Following your advance directive is an Oregon Organ Donation Form.

This form does not expressly address mental illness. If you would like to make advance care plans regarding mental illness, you should talk to your physician and an attorney about an advance directive tailored to your needs.

Note: Oregon law requires you to use state-mandated forms for your Appointment of Health Care Representative and Health Care Instructions. This packet contains the state-mandated forms with no modifications other than the addition of the instructions in the grey bar on the left side of each page. If you have health care planning needs that are not covered by these forms, you should talk to an attorney about your options.

Note: This document will be legally binding only if the person completing it is a competent adult (at least 18 years old), an emancipated minor, or is married.

COMPLETING YOUR OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE

How do I make my Oregon Advance Directive legal? 

The law requires that you sign your document, or direct another to sign it, in the presence of two witnesses, neither of whom may be your attending physician or your health care representative or alternate. At least one of your witnesses cannot be:

• related to you (by blood, marriage or adoption),
• entitled to any portion of your estate, or
• an owner, operator, or employee of a health care facility where you are a resident or are being treated.

If you are a patient in a long-term care facility, one of your witnesses must be a person designated by your facility and qualified under the rules of the Department of Human Resources.

Part B of your Advance Directive (Appointment of Health Care Representative) will not go into effect until your health care representative (or alternate) sign and date the acceptance statement on page 8 of your document (Part E).

Whom should I appoint as my health care representative?

Your health care representative is the person you appoint to make decisions about your health care if you become unable to make those decisions yourself. Your health care representative may be a family member or a close friend whom you trust to make serious decisions. The person you name as your health care representative should clearly understand your wishes and be willing to accept the responsibility of making health care decisions for you.

You can appoint a second person as your alternate health care representative. The alternate will step in if the first person you name as a health care representative is unable, unwilling, or unavailable to act for you.

Unless he or she is related to you by blood, marriage, or adoption, the person you appoint as your health care representative cannot be:

• your attending physician or an employee of your attending physician, or
• an owner, operator, or employee of a health care facility in which you are a patient or resident, unless you appointed him or her as your health care representative before your admission to the facility.

In addition, you may not appoint your parent or former guardian without a court order if you were ever removed from their custody and a court terminated your parent’s parental rights or permanently removed you from your former guardian’s home for safety reasons.

Should I add personal instructions to Part B of my Oregon Advance Directive?

One of the strongest reasons for naming a health care representative is to have someone who can respond flexibly as your health care situation changes and deal with situations that you did not foresee. If you add instructions to this document it may help your health care representative carry out your wishes, but be careful that you do not unintentionally restrict your health care representative’s power to act in your best interest. In any event, be sure to talk with your health care representative about your future medical care and describe what you consider to be an acceptable “quality of life.”

What if I change my mind?

You can revoke your Oregon Advance Directive at any time and in any manner by which you are able to communicate your intent to revoke your document. Your revocation becomes effective once you notify your doctor or health care provider or your health care representative.

Your Oregon Advance Directive will automatically be revoked if you execute a new Oregon Advance Directive, unless you have specified otherwise in your document.

If you appoint your spouse as your health care representative, the appointment is automatically revoked if you petition for divorce or annulment, unless you reaffirm your health care representative’s appointment in writing.

What other important facts should I know?

Your health care representative is not authorized to make health care decisions with respect to any of the following:

(1) convulsive treatment,

(2) psychosurgery,

(3) sterilization,

(4) abortion, or

(5) withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining procedures unless given authority to do so by initialing paragraph 2 in Part B of your advance directive.

OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE – PAGE 1 OF 8

PART A: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ADVANCE DIRECTIVE

This is an important legal document. It can control critical decisions about your health care. Before signing, consider these important facts:

Facts About Part B (Appointing a Health Care Representative)

You have the right to name a person to direct your health care when you cannot do so. This person is called your “health care representative.” You can do this by using Part B of this form. Your representative must accept on Part E of this form.

You can write in this document any restrictions you want on how your representative will make decisions for you. Your representative must follow your desires as stated in this document or otherwise made known. If your desires are unknown, your representative must try to act in your best interest. Your representative can resign at any time.

Facts About Part C (Giving Health Care Instructions)

You also have the right to give instructions for health care providers to follow if you become unable to direct your care. You can do this by using Part C of this form.

Facts About Completing This Form

This form is valid only if you sign it voluntarily and when you are of sound mind. If you do not want an advance directive, you do not have to sign this form.

Unless you have limited the duration of this advance directive, it will not expire. If you have set an expiration date, and you become unable to direct your health care before that date, this advance directive will not expire until you are able to make those decisions again.

You may revoke this document at any time. To do so, notify your representative and your health care provider of the revocation.

Despite this document, you have the right to decide your own health care as long as you are able to do so. If there is anything in this document that you do not understand, ask a lawyer to explain it to you.

You may sign PART B, PART C, or both parts. You may cross out words that don’t express your wishes. Witnesses must sign PART D.

Print your NAME, BIRTHDATE AND ADDRESS here:

OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE – PAGE 2 OF 8

PART B: APPOINTMENT OF HEALTH CARE REPRESENTATIVE

I authorize my representative (or alternate) to direct my health care when I can’t do so.

NOTE: You may not appoint your doctor, an employee of your doctor, or an owner, operator or employee of your health care facility, unless that person is related to you by blood, marriage or adoption or that person was appointed before your admission into the health care facility. In addition, you may not appoint your parent or former guardian without a court order if you were ever removed from their custody and a court terminated your parent’s parental rights or permanently removed you from your former guardian’s home for safety reasons.

1. LIMITS.

Special Conditions or Instructions:

OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE – PAGE 3 OF 8

2. LIFE SUPPORT.

“Life support” refers to any medical means for maintaining life, including procedures, devices and medications. If you refuse life support, you will still get routine measures to keep you clean and comfortable.

3. TUBE FEEDING.

One sort of life support is food and water supplied artificially by medical device, known as tube feeding.

INITIAL IF THIS APPLIES:

REGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE – PAGE 4 OF 8

PART C: HEALTH CARE INSTRUCTIONS

NOTE: In filling out these instructions, keep the following in mind:

• The term “as my physician recommends” means that you want your physician to try life support and then discontinue it if it is not helping your health condition or symtoms.
• “Life support” and “tube feeding” are defined in Part B above.
• If you refuse tube feeding, you should understand that malnutrition, dehydration and death will probably result.
• You will get care for your comfort and cleanliness, no matter what choices you make.
• You may either give specific instructions by filling out Items 1 to 4 below, or you may use the general instruction provided by Item 5.

Here are my desires about my health care if my doctor and another knowledgeable doctor confirm that I am in a medical condition described below:

1. CLOSE TO DEATH.

If I am close to death and life support would only postpone the moment of my death:

OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE — PAGE 5 OF 8

3. ADVANCED PROGRESSIVE ILLNESS.

If I have a progressive illness that will be fatal and the illness is in an advanced stage, and I am consistently and permanently unable to communicate, swallow food and water safely, care for myself and recognize my family and other people, and it is very unlikely that my condition will substantially improve:

A. INITIAL ONE:

OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE — PAGE 6 OF 8

6. ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS OR INSTRUCTION. (Insert description of what you want done.)

7. OTHER DOCUMENTS.

INITIAL ONE:

OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE — PAGE 7 OF 8

PART D: DECLARATION OF WITNESSES

We declare that the person signing this advance directive:

(a) Is personally known to us or has provided proof of identity;

(b) Signed or acknowledged that person’s signature on this advance directive in our presence;

(c) Appears to be of sound mind and not under duress, fraud or undue influence;

(d) Has not appointed either of us as health care representative or alternative representative; and

(e) Is not a patient for whom either of us is attending physician.

Witnessed by:

OREGON ADVANCE DIRECTIVE — PAGE 8 OF 8

PART E: ACCEPTANCE BY HEALTH CARE REPRESENTATIVE

I accept this appointment and agree to serve as health care representative. I understand I must act consistently with the desires of the person I represent, as expressed in this advance directive or otherwise made known to me. I understand that this document allows me to decide about that person’s health care only while that person cannot do so. I understand that the person who appointed me may revoke this appointment. If I learn that this document has been suspended or revoked, I will inform the person’s current health care provider if known to me. If I do not know the desires of the person I represent, I have a duty to act in what I believe in good faith to be that person’s best interest.

OREGON ORGAN DONATION FORM — PAGE 1 OF 1

Initial the line next to the statement below that best reflects your wishes. You do not have to initial any of the statements. If you do not initial any of the statements, your health care representative or other agent, or your family, may have the authority to make a gift of all or part of your body under Oregon law.

You Have Filled Out Your Health Care Directive, Now What?

1. Your Oregon advance directive is an important legal document. Keep the original signed document in a secure but accessible Do not put the original document in a safe deposit box or any other security box that would keep others from having access to it.

2. Give photocopies of the signed original to your health care representative and alternate health care representative, doctor(s), family, close friends, clergy, and anyone else who might become involved in your healthcare. If you enter a nursing home or hospital, have photocopies of your document placed in your medical records.

3. Be sure to talk to your health care representative(s), doctor(s), clergy, family, and friends about your wishes concerning medical treatment. Discuss your wishes with them often, particularly if your medical condition changes.

4. You may also want to save a copy of your form in an online personal health records application, program, or service that allows you to share your medical documents with your physicians, family, and others who you want to take an active role in your advance care planning.

5. If you want to make changes to your documents after they have been signed and witnessed, you must complete a new document.

6. Remember, you can always revoke your Oregon document.

7. Be aware that your Oregon document will not be effective in the event of a medical Ambulance and hospital emergency department personnel are required to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) unless they are given a separate directive that states otherwise. These directives called “prehospital medical care directives” or “do not resuscitate orders” are designed for people whose poor health gives them little chance of benefiting from CPR. These directives instruct ambulance and hospital emergency personnel not to attempt CPR if your heart or breathing should stop.

Oregon authorizes a special order, called a Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (“POLST”), that can be registered with the state to ensure your out of hospital, end of life treatment preferences are honored. We suggest you speak to your physician, or visit  http://ohsu.edu/polst/programs/oregon-details.htm, if you are interested in obtaining one.