Fill Your Wisconsin F 00060 Form

What is the Wisconsin F 00060 form?

The Wisconsin F 00060 form, also known as the Declaration to Health Care Professionals (Living Will), enables adults in Wisconsin to express their preferences regarding the use of life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes if they find themselves in a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state. It is a critical document that indicates a person's healthcare wishes, ensuring they are respected during times when they might not be able to communicate them personally.

Who can act as a witness for the Wisconsin F 00060 form?

Witnesses must meet several specific criteria: they should be at least 18 years old and not related to the signatory by blood, marriage, or adoption. Furthermore, they cannot be financially responsible for the signatory’s healthcare, have a claim on their estate, or be a healthcare provider or facility employee currently serving the signatory. This includes avoiding chaplains or social workers who are employed by the inpatient facility where the patient is receiving care.

Where should the Wisconsin F 00060 form be kept?

After signing the form, it should be kept in a safe but easily accessible place. It’s important that relatives and friends know about the document and its location. Additionally, giving a copy to your physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse is advisable, and you are responsible for informing them about the existence of the Declaration. The document can also be filed with the Register in Probate in your county of residence for a fee, although this is not mandatory.

How can the Wisconsin F 00060 form be revoked?

A declaration can be revoked at any time, in several ways: by physically destroying the document, through a written revocation signed and dated by the declarant, by verbally stating the intent to revoke in front of a healthcare professional, or by creating a subsequent declaration. It is crucial that the attending healthcare professional is informed of the revocation to ensure the patient's medical records are updated accordingly.

What happens if there is a conflict between a Living Will and Power of Attorney for Health Care?

In Wisconsin, if an individual has both a Declaration to Health Care Professionals (Living Will) and a Power of Attorney for Health Care, the provisions of a valid Power of Attorney for Health Care take precedence over any conflicting provisions in a valid Living Will. This ensures that the most recent desires regarding healthcare decisions are followed.

Are there any legal protections for witnesses or healthcare professionals involved with the Wisconsin F 00060 form?

Yes, valid witnesses acting in good faith are immune from civil or criminal liability associated with their role in witnessing the document. Similarly, healthcare professionals who participate in withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining procedures or feeding tubes, act upon a revocation, or fail to comply with a Declaration in specific circumstances are protected from being held criminally or civilly liable, or being charged with unprofessional conduct, provided they act according to the stipulations of the form and state law.

Completing the Wisconsin F 00060 form, also known as the Declaration to Health Care Professionals or Living Will, is a pivotal step for adults in Wisconsin to express their preferences regarding the use of life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes in the event they find themselves in a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state. However, despite the comprehensive guidelines provided, individuals often stumble over common pitfalls that can significantly impact the effectiveness of their declaration. Awareness and avoidance of these errors are crucial for ensuring their wishes are honored accurately.

Firstly, failing to properly designate the use of feeding tubes and life-sustaining procedures stands out as a frequent misstep. This declaration offers specific sections to indicate preferences concerning feeding tubes and life-sustaining procedures under distinct circumstances - terminal condition and persistent vegetative state. It's crucial to check the corresponding boxes to articulate one's choice explicitly. Neglecting to make a clear designation could result in default actions being taken that may not align with individual preferences.

Another common mistake is choosing ineligible witnesses for the signing of the document. Witnesses play an integral role in the validity of the Living Will, with strict eligibility criteria set to ensure impartiality. Witnesses must be at least 18 years old and cannot be related by blood, marriage, or adoption, nor can they stand to financially benefit from the death of the declarant, nor be involved in their healthcare provisions at the time of the signing. Overlooking these requirements can render the document legally ineffective.

In the context of notarization and copies, individuals often overlook the importance of keeping the original document accessible and making known its location. While not a direct part of filling out the form, correctly managing the document post-signature is critical. The original signed form should be stored safely but accessibly, with close relatives or decision-makers made aware of its location. Additionally, distributing copies to relevant healthcare providers and considering filing with the Register in Probate for safekeeping are steps that should not be dismissed lightly.

1. Not properly indicating preferences for life-sustaining procedures and the use of feeding tubes.
2. Selecting witnesses who do not meet the statutory eligibility criteria.
3. Failing to discuss and share the completed document with family members and healthcare providers.
4. Neglecting to consider the registration of the document with the Register in Probate for added legal safeguarding.

The successful creation of a Living Will through the Wisconsin F 00060 form mandates attentiveness to detail and an understanding of the legal requirements. Avoiding the common mistakes outlined above is key to formulating a document that faithfully represents one's healthcare preferences and ensures peace of mind for both the individual and their loved ones.

When an individual in Wisconsin decides to fill out the F 00060 form, also known as the Declaration to Health Care Professionals (Living Will), it's usually not the only document they'll need to ensure their healthcare desires are respected. This vital form helps express choices about life-sustaining treatments and feeding tubes, but several other documents can play crucial roles in planning for future health care needs and ensuring one's wishes are known and respected. Here is a list of additional forms and documents often used along with the Wisconsin F 00060 form:

• Power of Attorney for Health Care: This document allows an individual to designate another person (an agent) to make health care decisions on their behalf if they become unable to do so. It covers more general health care decisions than the F 00060, and its provisions supersede the living will if there is a conflict.
• Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order: A medical order signed by a doctor stating that in the event of a cardiac or respiratory arrest, resuscitation measures should not be attempted. This document is used by those who want to avoid aggressive measures meant to revive them.
• HIPAA Release Form: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule protects patients' medical records and other health information. This form allows individuals to give written permission for their health information to be disclosed to specific people.
• Organ and Tissue Donor Form: Specifies an individual's wishes regarding organ and tissue donation at the time of death. It can be part of a driver's license or state ID process or done through an online registry.
• Advance Directive for Mental Health Treatment: Similar to a living will, but specifically directed towards decisions about mental health treatment options, including preferences for medications, counseling, hospitalization, and electroconvulsive therapy.
• Declaration of Preneed Guardian: Allows individuals to declare who they want to be appointed as their guardian in case they become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves.
• Funeral Planning Declaration: Enables individuals to specify arrangements for their funeral, cremation, burial, or other final arrangements. This can help ensure that one’s final wishes are respected and can relieve some of the decision-making burdens from loved ones.
• Financial Power of Attorney: A legal document that gives another person the authority to handle financial transactions on an individual's behalf. While not directly related to healthcare, it's an essential part of planning for incapacity.

Filling out the F 00060 form and accompanying documents requires careful thought and often, discussions with loved ones and healthcare providers. It's also advisable to seek legal advice to ensure all forms accurately reflect the individual's wishes and are properly executed. Together, these documents can provide comprehensive guidance to healthcare providers and relieve family members from the pressure of making critical decisions during stressful times.

The Health Care Power of Attorney (HCPOA) form closely resembles the Wisconsin F 00060 Living Will by allowing individuals to specify their preferences regarding medical treatment and care. Like the Living Will, the HCPOA enables adults to plan how their health care decisions should be made in the event they become unable to communicate their wishes. Both documents require individuals to clearly state their medical treatment preferences, yet the HCPOA notably differs by designating another individual, the agent, to make health care decisions on behalf of the person, providing a broader scope of decision-making power beyond the specific circumstances of terminal illness or persistent vegetative state.

Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) orders are another comparable document which, like the Living Will, specify an individual's preferences regarding Life-sustaining procedures. DNR orders are specifically aimed at preventing emergency medical personnel from performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest. Although both the Living Will and DNR orders guide healthcare professionals during critical moments, DNR orders are more narrowly focused on the avoidance of resuscitation efforts rather than the broader scope of medical interventions addressed in a Living Will.

An Advance Directive is a comprehensive term that encompasses various types of health care directives, including Living Wills and Health Care Powers of Attorney. It serves as a written statement of a person's wishes regarding medical treatment when they are no longer able to communicate these due to illness or incapacity. Similar to the Wisconsin F 00060 form, Advance Directives are tools for planning for future health care and can define in extensive detail the types of medical care and life-sustaining treatments an individual wishes to receive or avoid.

The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) form is a medical order that outlines a terminally ill patient’s preferences regarding life-sustaining medical treatments. Like the Living Will, it is designed to ensure that a patient’s wishes are followed by health care providers during critical or terminal phases of illness. However, the POLST form is considered complementary to a Living Will because it is more medically detailed and immediately actionable by medical personnel.

A Mental Health Advance Directive allows individuals to specify their preferences for mental health treatment, much like how a Living Will specifies preferences for medical treatment in terminal or vegetative states. While addressing a different aspect of health care—mental health, as opposed to physical health care decisions—both documents serve the crucial role of guiding health care providers when the individual is unable to make decisions due to incapacitation.

The Five Wishes document is another form of an Advance Directive that provides a comprehensive approach to discussing and documenting one’s care preferences in detailed personal, emotional, and spiritual terms in addition to medical wishes. It extends beyond the focus of the Living Will by addressing comfort care, dignity, forgiveness, and saying goodbye, providing a holistic approach to end-of-life planning. Although similar in their objectives to ensure that one’s preferences are respected, the Living Will is more specific in its legal scope within Wisconsin’s statute.

A Posthumous Health Care Directive is somewhat akin to a Living Will, with its purpose being to instruct on the handling of an individual's body and health care decisions after death, such as organ donation preferences. While the focus is on post-mortem care rather than decisions made during life, both documents enable an individual to plan ahead and make personal health care decisions that are respected by health care providers and family members alike.

A Guardianship Appointment is a legal document that can complement a Living Will by appointing someone to make decisions on behalf of an individual if they become unable to do so themselves, encompassing a wide range of decisions beyond health care. While a Living Will precisely declares health care wishes in specific situations, a Guardianship Appointment provides a legal mechanism for everyday decision-making power, including but not limited to health care.

The Organ Donor Registry form allows individuals to make specific decisions regarding organ and tissue donation after death. Similar to a Living Will’s capacity to dictate certain aspects of one’s medical treatment preferences at end-of-life, the Organ Donor Registry conveys wishes pertaining to organ donation, ensuring such preferences are known and can be acted upon promptly at the time of death.

A Declaration for Mental Health Treatment, specifically addressing mental health crisis care, is similar to a Living Will insofar as it documents an individual's treatment preferences when they cannot make decisions for themselves. Although focused on psychiatric rather than physical health crises, it parallels the Living Will's function by guiding healthcare providers through an individual’s predefined decisions regarding their care during incapacity.

Filling out the Wisconsin F 00060 form, a Declaration to Health Care Professionals (Living Will), requires careful attention to detail and understanding of its implications. It is crucial to approach this task thoughtfully, as it pertains to decisions about life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes under specific medical conditions. Here are four key dos and don'ts to keep in mind:

• Do thoroughly read and understand both sides of the form before filling it out. This ensures that you are fully informed about what the declaration entails and how it will affect your future medical care under certain conditions.
• Do discuss your intentions with relatives and friends. After completing and signing the form, it's important to inform your loved ones about the existence of this document and its location. This facilitates its use when needed.
• Do choose your witnesses carefully. Witnesses must be at least 18 years old, not related by blood, marriage, or adoption, and must not have a direct financial responsibility for your healthcare. They should also not stand to inherit any portion of your estate or be your healthcare provider or an employee of a healthcare facility where you are receiving care.
• Do notify your attending physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse of the existence of the Declaration. Ensure this document becomes part of your medical records by informing your primary healthcare professional.

• Don't rush through the process. Take your time to consider your choices about life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes, especially in situations like a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state.
• Don't choose witnesses who are disqualified. Avoid selecting witnesses who are related to you, who might have a financial interest in your healthcare, or who are healthcare providers currently serving you. This ensures the legal validity of their witness.
• Don't leave the form in a place where it cannot be easily accessed. After signing the form, store it in a safe, easily accessible location and inform your family and healthcare provider about where it is kept.
• Don't forget to consider the need for copies. Although the original signed form should be kept safe, creating copies for your physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or to be filed for safekeeping with the Register in Probate of your county of residence can be crucial. Remember, you are responsible for a small fee if you choose to file it with the Register in Probate.

When it comes to the Wisconsin F 00060 form, or the Declaration to Health Care Professionals (Living Will), there are several misconceptions that often come up. Understanding what this document is and what it isn't can help you make informed decisions about your healthcare preferences in critical situations.

• Only for the Elderly: A common misconception is that this document is only for the elderly. In reality, it's a crucial document for adults of any age, as it specifies your preferences for life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes in case you are unable to communicate your decisions due to a terminal condition or a persistent vegetative state.

• Legally Binding Immediately After Signing: Some believe that simply signing the form is enough to make it legally binding. However, the form must be witnessed by two individuals who meet specific criteria outlined in the form to be considered valid.

• Witness Restrictions: There's a misunderstanding that anyone can witness the document. Witnesses must be adults, not related by blood, marriage, or adoption, have no financial interest in your estate, and cannot be your healthcare provider or an employee of a healthcare facility where you are receiving care.

• It Prevents All Medical Treatment: Another misconception is that the declaration prevents all medical treatment. Instead, it allows adults to state their preferences for life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes but does not refuse other forms of care, such as pain relief measures.

• Difficult to Revoke: People often think once the declaration is made, it cannot be easily revoked. In truth, the declaration can be revoked at any time in several ways, including verbally, by destroying the document, through a written revocation signed and dated, or by creating a new declaration.

• Automatically Shared with Healthcare Providers: There's a belief that once the declaration is signed, healthcare providers automatically know about it. Actually, the responsibility to inform healthcare professionals about the declaration rests with the individual or their family.

• Supersedes Power of Attorney for Healthcare: Some assume this declaration overrides a Power of Attorney for Health Care. However, if you have both documents and they conflict, the Power of Attorney for Health Care's provisions take precedence over the living will's instructions.

• Cost Prohibitive: The misconception that obtaining or filing the form is expensive prevents some from completing it. While there is an $8 fee to file the document for safekeeping with the Register in Probate, the form itself is available for free from the state's Department of Health Services website.

• Difficult to Obtain: People often believe that the form is difficult to obtain. The truth is, up to four copies of the Declaration to Health Care Professionals are available for free, and additional copies can be made. The form is also easily accessible on the Department of Health Services website.

• One-Time Decision: Lastly, many perceive the declaration as a one-time decision that cannot be adjusted. Preferences and situations change, and so can your living will. Updating your declaration as your healthcare outlook or wishes change is not only possible but advisable.

Understanding these misconceptions can help clarify the intent and the flexibility of the Wisconsin F 00060 form, ensuring that your healthcare preferences are respected when it matters most.

Completing the Wisconsin F 00060 form, known as the Declaration to Health Care Professionals (Living Will), allows adults in Wisconsin to declare their preferences regarding life-sustaining procedures and the use of feeding tubes if they find themselves in a terminal condition or in a persistent vegetative state. To ensure their wishes are honored, individuals must first understand, complete, and correctly sign this document. Here are five key takeaways about filling out and using the Wisconsin F 00060 form:

• Requirements for Completing the Form: The form necessitates careful reading and understanding before it is completed and signed. It is essential as it contains critical choices about life-sustaining treatments and end-of-life care preferences.
• Witness Guidelines: Signing of the form must be observed by two qualified witnesses who are at least 18 years old. These witnesses cannot be related by blood, marriage, or adoption, have financial responsibility for the signer's healthcare, or be entitled to any part of the signer’s estate.
• Storage and Sharing of the Form: After signing, the original document should be stored in a secure yet accessible location. It is advisable to inform close relatives and friends about the existence and location of the form. Copies should also be shared with the individual's attending physician, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse to make it part of the medical records.
• Revocation Process: The declarant can revoke the Living Will at any time using several methods, such as physical destruction of the document, a written revocation, a verbal expression of intent to revoke conveyed to the medical provider, or by completing a new Declaration.
• Legal Protections and Obligations: The form also outlines legal protections for health care providers who follow the directive in good faith and specifies the process for health care providers if they cannot comply with the directive, including making a good faith attempt to transfer the patient to another provider that will comply.

Understanding and accurately completing the Wisconsin F 00060 form ensures individuals can have their healthcare preferences understood and respected, even if they are not able to communicate them directly due to their medical condition. Ensuring all requirements are met, including proper witness signatures, can provide peace of mind to individuals and their families that their wishes will be honored.