Advanced Directives
You may want to consider making advanced directives to plan ahead for a time when decisions need to be made about your medical treatment or the use of artificial life support. Advanced directives are written instructions about your health care preferences to be followed if you become unable to make decisions or communicate your desires. You develop these documents while you have the capacity to actively participate in decisions that affect your health care. Documenting your desires in writing will help to assure that your wishes are followed.
Make Your Desires Clear
Communicate your desires clear and document them in writing, in advance, of what you want should you lose the ability to make or communicate medical decisions. Your wishes only can be known and followed if you make and document your wishes in advance.
Resources
For further information or assistance with advance directives, call St. Anthony's Case Management (Social Services) department at 314-525-4640.
More information also is available at www.ago.missouri.gov (Missouri Attorney General's Office: "Life Choices" addresses a variety of end of life issues, including Advance Directives).
For information, please call our Health Access Line at 314-ANTHONY (268-4669) or 800-554-9550 or visit find a physician online.
At St. Anthony's, our vision is to be the area's premier health care organization
— and your first choice for health care services.



