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Critical Care / Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
Decision Making

​Often your loved one is unable to speak or communicate. In that instance we need you to tell us if they have:

  • Advanced Health Care Directive or Living Will. A signed document stating their wishes.* More information on advanced care directives is available in our Palliative Care section.
  • Proxy. A person legally appointed by the patient to make health-care decisions if the patient is unable.*
  • Allergies and Medical History. As the voice of your loved one, it is of critical importance that we be made aware of any special health concerns.

*A copy may be requested for their chart.

If you have information on any of these, please bring this information to the RN or staff’s attention.

Decision Maker - The decision maker or proxy is the person who will be responsible for guiding the health-care team to understand and follow your loved one’s wishes. This includes giving consent and making treatment decisions.

If there is no document naming a proxy then selection of a substitute decision maker is guided by the Health Care Directives and Substitute Decision Makers Act. This is the order usually followed in designating someone:

  • Spouse (living together in a married or common-law relationship)
  • Adult child
  • Parent or legal custodian
  • Adult sibling
  • Other relatives in a specific order

Spokesperson - In order to ensure your family is kept up to date with what is going on, we have found it best that a family spokesperson relay information. It is recommended that one person act as family spokesperson. This may or may not be the decision maker.

Please provide us with the name and phone number of one person who will be the family spokesperson.

Last Modified: Friday, December 12, 2014 |
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