About Healthcare Directives

What Is an Advance Directive?

An advance directive is a type of health care directive—that is, a document in which you set out instructions or wishes for your medical care in case you can’t speak for yourself.

Power of Attorney for Health Care: What Powers Can You Grant?

A durable power of attorney for health care lets you choose someone you trust to make medical decisions for you if you can't speak for yourself.

Naming a Health Care Agent and Primary Physician

Choosing a health care agent—also known as a health care proxy, medical proxy, representative, or surrogate—is a crucial step in documenting your health care wishes.

Advance Health Care Planning: Specifying Your Wishes

Advance care planning is the process of thinking about and documenting the kind of medical care you do or do not want if you are unable to communicate your wishes.

Advance Care Planning for Different Medical Conditions

Understand how you can make advance medical decisions for conditions including terminal illness, permanent coma, Alzheimer’s, and pregnancy.

Expressing Organ Donation Wishes in Your Health Care Directive

In most states, you can use your health care directive to state whether you want to donate your organs, tissues, or body after death.

Witness and Notary Requirements for Advance Directives

Finalize your advance directive with proper signing, witnessing, and notarization. Requirements vary by state, so follow these steps to ensure your health care wishes are legally valid.

Storing, Sharing, or Revoking Your Medical Power of Attorney

Learn who needs copies of your health care powers of attorney, how state registries work, when to update your directives, and what could terminate or override your documents

DNR Order vs. POLST Form: What’s the Difference?

Working with your health care provider to create POLSTs and DNRs can ensure your end-of-life treatment wishes are clearly communicated and honored.