Faculty Collaboration Database

Advance care planning by proxy for residents of long-term care facilities who lack decision-making capacity. J Am Geriatr Soc 2002 Apr;50(4):761-7

Date

05/02/2002

Pubmed ID

11982681

DOI

10.1046/j.1532-5415.2002.50175.x

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0036216360 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   51 Citations

Abstract

This report examines whether long-term care facilities should implement policies and procedures to support advance care planning by proxy for residents who lack decision-making capacity. The report focuses on advance care planning in the Department of Veterans Affairs. After reviewing clinical, legal, and ethical perspectives, the authors conclude that advance proxy planning is ethically sound and can improve patient care. However, because experience with advance proxy planning is still fairly limited, the authors do not recommend that a particular standardized approach be mandated at the national level. Instead, local facilities are advised to develop their own policies and then evaluate their effect. The report contains specific recommendations for the advance proxy planning process.

Author List

Volicer L, Cantor MD, Derse AR, Edwards DM, Prudhomme AM, Gregory DC, Reagan JE, Tulsky JA, Fox E, National Ethics Committee Of The Veterans Health Administration

Author

Arthur R. Derse MD, JD Director, Professor in the Institute for Health and Humanity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Advance Directives
Decision Making
Ethics, Medical
Hospitals, Veterans
Humans
Long-Term Care
Mental Competency
Proxy
United States