Advance Care Planning
Advance care planning means making decisions about the care you would want to receive if you become unable to speak for yourself. Once you have made these choices you can document those wishes in a health care directive. You are encouraged to discuss your choices with family, friends and health care providers.
Health care directives
A health care directive is a legal document that your family, friends and healthcare providers use to understand your health care decisions if you are unable to speak for yourself. Questions and Answers About Health Care Directives can be obtained from Health Regulations provides additional information about Minnesota’s law, the importance of a health care directive and what you should consider when creating one.
You can contact a qualified legal professional for guidance on health care directives, or find free Health Care Directives through Honoring Choices Minnesota that meet all of the state’s legal requirements. They also have resources and directives available in English, Hmong, Russian, Somali and Spanish.
Provider Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
This form gives clear medical orders to help care providers follow your wishes, especially during an emergency. The POLST is another piece of advance care planning but does not replace a health care directive. The Minnesota Medical Association created this form for those who have an advanced serious illness to identify what types of end of life medical treatment wishes. Download and complete the newly revised form at POLST Minnesota.
Resources
- Minnesota Network of Hospice and Palliative Care – Advance Care Planning
- Minnesota Board on Aging – Advance Directives
- Minnesota Medical Association – POLST Minnesota
- For Legal definitions in Minnesota regarding Health Care Directives 2016 MN Statute 145C.03 Health Care Directive under MN Statute 145C