If you take medication of any kind, you can help the South Holland Paramedics by writing down all of your medications on a piece of paper and hanging it on your refrigerator and keeping a copy in your wallet or purse. To further help out the paramedics, please fill out the Medical Information Sheet. It will contain all the information that we require to complete our reports and ease your suffering in the event of an emergency. Be sure to update the information every time your doctor changes your medications.

If you have any unused medications that you do not need anymore do NOT flush them down the toilet unless the medication instructions specifically say to do so. Follow these instructions to discard unwanted medications.

A living will tells your health-care professional whether you want death-delaying procedures used if you have a terminal condition and are unable to state your wishes. A living will, unlike a health care power of attorney, only applies if you have a terminal condition. A terminal condition means an incurable and irreversible condition such that death is imminent and the application of any death delaying procedures serves only to prolong the dying process.

Even if you sign a living will, food and water cannot be withdrawn if it would be the only cause of death. Also, if you are pregnant and your health-care professional thinks you could have a live birth, your living will cannot go into effect.

You can use a standard living will form or write your own. You may write specific directions about the death-delaying procedures you do or do not want.

Two people must witness your signing of the living will. Your health-care professional cannot be a witness. It is your responsibility to tell your health-care professional if you have a living will if you are able to do so. You can cancel your living will at any time, either by telling someone or by canceling it in writing.

If you have both a health care power of attorney and a living will, the agent you name in your power of attorney will make your health-care decisions unless he or she is unavailable.

You may also ask your health-care professional about a do-not-resuscitate order (DNR order). A DNR order is a medical treatment order stating that cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) will not be attempted if your heart and/or breathing stops. The law authorizing the development of the form specifies that an individual (or his or her authorized legal representative) may execute the IDPH Uniform DNR Advance Directive directing that resuscitation efforts shall not be attempted. Therefore, a DNR order completed on the IDPH Uniform DNR Advance Directive contains an advance directive made by an individual (or legal representative), and also contains a physician’s order that requires a physician’s signature.

Before a DNR order may be entered into your medical record, either you or another person (your legal guardian, health care power of attorney or surrogate decision maker) must consent to the DNR order. This consent must be witnessed by two people who are 18 years or older. If a DNR order is entered into your medical record, appropriate medical treatment other than CPR will be given to you. This webpage provides a copy of the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Uniform Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Advance Directive that may be used by you and your physician. This webpage also provides a link to guidance for individuals, health-care professionals and health-care providers concerning the IDPH Uniform DNR Advance Directive.

You should talk with your family, your health-care professional, your attorney, and any agent or attorney-in-fact that you appoint about your decision to make one or more advance directives or a DNR order. If they know what health care you want, they will find it easier to follow your wishes. If you cancel or change an advance directive or a DNR order in the future, remember to tell these same people about the change or cancellation.

The South Holland Fire Department cannot honor a living will. A living will is only accepted in a hospital or hospice setting. If you do not wish advanced measures to be performed on you like CPR or shocking your heart, then you will need to fill out a DNR and have it signed by your doctor.

For more detailed information, you can go to the Illinois Department of Public health Website and view the IDPH Uniform DNR Advance Directive – Guidance for Individuals. The IDPH Uniform Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Advance Directive (PDF Format) can be filled out after reading the guide.