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DNR & Advance Directives: What You Need To Know
Planning for the future is more than just setting yourself up financially. Looking ahead to your final moments now will save you and your loved ones from the stress of painful last-minute decisions.
Bottom line: you should absolutely have a DNR or advance health care directive.
With a little preparation, your family can give you the peace of mind you deserve and honor the end-of-life plans you’ve chosen. A MedicAlert（https://www.medicalert.org/） medical ID and membership helps ensure that your wishes are communicated to your medical care team.
What is an advance directive?
An advance directive is a document that states the type of care you want to receive should you become unable to make sound medical decisions for yourself. This helps you prepare for the unexpected–if you’re seriously injured, diagnosed with terminal illness, experiencing severe dementia, or in a coma.
While laws for advance directives differ from state to state, there are several options. Let’s learn about some examples of advance directives below.
In this article:
Living Will
A living will describes the kind of medical treatment you want to receive if you need life-sustaining care. However, it doesn’t allow a chosen designate to make decisions on your behalf should you become seriously or terminally ill. The National Institute on Aging, part of the NIH, has a well-written guide to preparing a living will（https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/preparing-living-will）.
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare
In the event you’re rendered unable to make your own medical decisions, the durable power of attorney（https://www.lawhelp.org/dc/resource/frequently-asked-questions-about-durable-powe） ( healthcare proxy ) allows a person of your choosing to make these decisions on your behalf.
Pre-Hospital Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR)
Informs your medical team that you’ve requested not to have cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This order is governed on a per-state or county basis by special laws. Without this document ,（https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/8866-do-not-resuscitate-orders） should your heart stop or you cease breathing, emergency first-responders within the United States will begin CPR or other life saving techniques.
How do I get a Do Not Resuscitate order?
The first step is letting your loved ones know what your wishes are. It might be a difficult conversation, but it’s necessary. Talk over the options, and be specific about the end-of-life care you’d like to receive.
Next, speak with your medical care team so they’re aware of your choices. Pre-hospital DNR orders are considered physician orders, and therefore require a physician’s signature. A pre-hospital DNR instructs medical personnel not to perform CPR on patients when an emergency occurs outside of a hospital.
Where can I get DNR forms?
Each state has a specific DNR law and approval form（https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/do-not-resuscitate-laws-by-states#do-not-resuscitate-dnr-laws-by-state）. Some states have standardized forms for DNR orders; if the order is not written on that specific form, it cannot be honored. Other states are less regimented, honoring any type of DNR order.
To be safe, check with your state’s Health Department to understand their specific requirements. Your doctor can also assist you in obtaining and filling out this simple document.
Does a DNR have to be signed by a doctor?
Before it is legally binding, in most states the DNR must be signed by a physician as well as notarized by a notary public. Once these steps are completed, your document is recognized by the state. Then, give your properly completed advance directive or DNR form to all parties, including uploading it to your MedicAlert health profile (this capability is available with most membership plans; check with us if you’re unsure).
Again, we can’t emphasize enough how important it is to know and follow the DNR laws and requirements of your state . And remember – if you already have a DNR but move to another state, you must execute a new DNR that complies with that state’s laws and regulations.
What MedicAlert can do for you
With a MedicAlert Safe & Connected（https://www.medicalert.org/protection/） or Safe & Found（https://www.medicalert.org/what-is-safe-and-found/） membership, you can store your care directives and end of life wishes as part of your profile–making sure that healthcare providers and first responders are notified of your choices.
To add a DNR or advance directive to your MedicAlert account, log in, navigate to “My Health Record,” and click on the “Advance Directives” tile. Just follow the instructions there to upload your documents.