Advance Directives

A Simple and Smart Way to Take Charge of Your Care

One of the most important decisions you can make about your care is to fill out advance directives in case you can no longer speak for yourself. Advance directives are documents that let others know your wishes about the type of care you want. Without an advance directive, your loved ones may disagree about what you’d want. Creating these plans can give both you and your family peace of mind by making your wishes clear. And they will only be used if you become unconscious or too ill to communicate yourself.

Different states have different laws about advance directives. If you spend a lot of time in another state, you may want to fill out that state’s documents as well. Check with your admissions department or nurse if you have any questions. Directives can include:

This set of instructions explains the type of life-prolonging medical care you wish to accept or refuse. It can include your wishes about the use of resuscitation (CPR) if your heart stops, a ventilator if you stop breathing, or feeding tubes or IVs if you cannot eat or drink.

This is a legal document that names your healthcare proxy — someone who can make medical decisions for you if you’re unable to do so. An official healthcare proxy can represent your wishes on emergency care and other medical issues like potential treatment options, blood transfusions, kidney dialysis, etc. Choose someone you trust, discuss your medical wishes, and make sure the person agrees to represent you in this role.