Patients & Families
Indiana Advance Directive
An advance directive is a legal document that can be completed at any age or stage of health that clearly expresses one’s preferences for treatment and allows an individual to appoint a healthcare representative to speak or consent when you are unable to speak for yourself. Included are specific healthcare decisions and/or treatment preferences about life-prolonging procedures and end-of-life palliative care. The advance directive can now be signed both on paper and electronically by patients and their witnesses. As of July 1, 2021, Indiana will no longer mandate the use of an official form for an advance directive.
Additional websites that include Indiana-approved advance directive templates:
Indiana POST
The Indiana POST Program is an advance care planning tool that helps ensure treatment preferences are honored. It is designed for patients with advanced chronic or terminal illness or frailties. Preferences for life sustaining treatments including resuscitation, medical interventions (e.g., comfort care, hospitalization, intubation, mechanical ventilation), antibiotics, and artificial nutrition are documented as medical orders on the POST form. It must be reviewed and signed by a physician, advance practice nurse, or physician assistant to be activated. This form transfers throughout the health care system and the orders are valid in all settings.
An overview of Indiana POST for patients (Who is POST for? What is POST? When should I fill out POST? Where do I keep POST?)
Una descripción general de Indiana POST para los pacientes. (¿Para quién es POST? ¿Qué es POST? ¿Cuándo debo completar POST? ¿Dónde guardo POST?) Click here for more translated resources.
A guidebook providing more detailed information about POST, including its benefits, how to communicate one’s medical preferences with loved ones and healthcare providers, and a step-by-step breakdown of the POST form.
Additional Resources on Advance Directives and POST
A brochure that provides advance care planning terminology and local Indiana resources.
If you do not appoint a legal health care representative, the law allows your family members to make decisions for you if you lose capacity. Here you can see the surrogate hierarchy.
This website offers free educational videos and worksheets to help patients and families with advance care planning.