Advance Directives/Living Wills
Competent adults have the right to make decisions concerning their own health, including the right to choose or refuse medical treatment. When people become unable to make or communicate these decisions due to a physical or mental change, such as being in a coma or developing dementia (like Alzheimer’s disease), they are considered incapacitated. To make sure that an incapacitated person’s decisions about healthcare will still be respected, the Florida legislature enacted legislation pertaining to healthcare advance directives (Chapter 765, Florida Statutes).
Florida law recognizes your right as a competent adult to make an advance directive or “Living Will” instructing your physician to provide, withhold or withdraw life-prolonging procedures; to designate another individual to make treatment decisions if you become unable to make your own decisions; and/or to indicate your desire to make an anatomical donation after death.
Individuals often do not think about healthcare decisions in advance, and therefore they are forced to make difficult decisions under stressful circumstances. Community Hospice encourages you to talk with your family, friends and doctor about how you want to be treated if you become seriously ill.*
A Living Will tool...
Five Wishes is an easy-to-complete Living Will document that not only addresses your choices for a healthcare surrogate and the kind of medical treatment you want or don't want, but also offers you an opportunity to express your personal, emotional and spiritual wishes.
Written in simple language to walk you through the process, Five Wishes can help you think through and talk about what you want for yourself at the end of life, both with loved ones and with your doctor. The document was created by Aging With Dignity, a nonprofit organization that works to promote better care for people at the end of life.
To complete your own advance directives, valid under Florida law, request the Five Wishes document from Community Hospice. Five Wishes is provided at no charge to members of our community who live in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties, and available in multiple languages.
Request a free copy of Five Wishes at FiveWishes@communityhospice.com or call 904.407.7024. When contacting us, please give your name, address and language preference.
If you live in other counties and would like to order Five Wishes, please visit Aging With Dignity or call 1.888.5.WISHES.
*It is the policy of Community Hospice to involve the patient and family in all healthcare decisions while in our hospice program. Community Hospice will not attempt to influence your decisions, nor promote a specific action; nor will Community Hospice take measures to either hasten or postpone death. You may receive care from Community Hospice regardless of whether or not you have executed an advance directive.
The information on advance directives is provided as a courtesy and should not be relied upon as legal advice. There are statutory provisions that address and set forth specific requirements for each of the advance directives listed above that are not discussed in this general information. You should consult an attorney regarding such requirements and any questions you may have regarding your legal rights and responsibilities.