Advance Directives

Advance Directives Information

Guide the Decisions for Your Medical Care

Louisiana law acknowledges that all adult persons have the fundamental right to control the decisions relating to their own medical care, including the decision to have life sustaining procedures withheld or withdrawn after being diagnosed as having a terminal illness.  In order to make the person's wishes known to his physician and other health care workers, the law recognizes the right of such a person to make advance directives.  Advance directives are statements that you can make now to guide your future medical care should you become unable to make healthcare decisions. 

All hospitals, including Iberia Medical Center, must give you information about your right to make decisions about your medical care and treatment.  We want to help you make an informed decision about advance directives.

Iberia Medical Center Respects and Supports Your Rights

We support the use of advance directives, such as the Living Will or a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, as a means to express your personal decisions.  Please inform your nurse if you have an Advance Directive.  This information will be given to your physician to help in guiding your care.  In the event you have a Living Will the physician will review it and determine its applicability to your current condition.

A living will and/or "Do Not Resuscitate" orders will be suspended during the time of surgery and the immediate post-operative recovery period.

Any adult person may, at any time, make a written declaration directing the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures in the event such person should have a terminal and irreversible condition or is in a continual profound comatose state with no reasonable chance of recovery.

The provision of care shall in no way be compromised or the individual discriminated against based on whether or not an advanced directive has been executed.