The emergency form is an initiative aimed at the special needs of people who are at the end of their lives or have serious health problems. It supplements existing living wills by setting out specific decisions for emergency situations that can be implemented quickly and easily by medical professionals. The emergency form is distributed and used in close cooperation with doctors in private practice, hospitals and care facilities in the district.
Difference to living wills
While living wills contain general instructions for future medical decisions, the emergency form goes one step further by providing precise instructions for acute medical emergencies. This makes it easier for the rescue chain to act in the patient's best interests at critical moments without time-consuming queries. This avoids unintentional over- or undersupply and preserves self-determination even in critical situations.
An important step for patient care
The development of the emergency form was made possible by the close cooperation of the members of the Palliative Care Round Table, which includes employees of the district administration's specialist advice service for the elderly, GPs, representatives of Ludwigsburg Hospital and specialized palliative care as well as nursing staff and employees of hospice services. "We are proud to be taking this step together with the district administration," said Dr. Matthias Ulmer, Head of Haematology and Oncology, Palliative Medicine at the RKH Clinic Ludwigsburg-Bietigheim and member of the round table. He added: "This emergency form ensures that the wishes of our elderly and seriously ill citizens are respected and implemented in an emergency, even if they are no longer able to express themselves."
Contact for queries:
The Ludwigsburg District Office's specialist advice service for the elderly can be contacted on 07141 144-2463 or by email at Altenhilfe[at]landkreis-ludwigsburg.de.
