CoxHealth Social Services works diligently to see that each patient, his or her family and friends are comfortable and are receiving the emotional support they need during a hospitalization.
Just being ill creates a strain on us, much less being in the hospital, or worse still, being in a hospital in a strange place. CoxHealth Social Services strives to make sure the stress on patients or on their caregivers and friends is the least it can be.
The department also assists in many circumstances where a patient may have no one to care for them when they return home or when a patient is visiting the Tri-Lakes area and needs assistance in getting back to their home.
Advance Healthcare Directives
Advance Healthcare Directives are written documents that communicate a person’s healthcare wishes if that person becomes mentally incapacitated and no longer able to express their treatment wishes. The most common directives are the Living Will and Power of Attorney for Healthcare.
Living Will
A living will allows a competent adult to sign a declaration outlining a person’s instructions for life prolonging procedures if and when the person becomes terminally ill and no longer able to make treatment decisions.
Power of Attorney for Healthcare
A Power of Attorney for Healthcare allows a competent adult to designate another person (attorney-in fact) to legally make healthcare treatment decisions for them if and when the adult becomes mentally incapacitated.
It is important that you provide copies of your Advance Healthcare Directives to your doctor, attorney-in-fact and family so they are aware of your healthcare directives and can honor your wishes if and when you are no longer able to make these decisions. A copy should also be provided when you are admitted to the hospital. Skaggs Hospital will place a copy of your directives into your permanent medical record allowing it to be available on future admissions.
Contact Us
CoxHealth Social Services
Cox Medical Center Branson
(417) 335-7289