A July Health Affairs survey found the majority of Americans had not documented their end-of-life wishes in writing, either. Good news: such a document exists. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization has a list of advance directive forms for every state.
Find quick links to all state and territory government websites at USA. Once you have identified your healthcare agent or proxy, talk to them about the care you do or do not want at the end of your life.
Have multiple conversations about your wishes and make sure you are heard and understood. This can be a serious conversation or it can be full of laughs. You get to decide how the conversation plays out. It is important to appoint an alternative healthcare agent or proxy in case yours becomes unavailable to execute their duties when you are dying.
There may be a possibility of utilizing digital signatures and notarizing forms online. The National Notary Association has a state-by-state breakdown of notarization rules. Additionally, you can complete and upload your advance directive and any other advance-care planning documents to the U. Advance Care Plan Registry. Doctors can easily access digitized copies of patient documents from the Registry to make informed decisions about patient end-of-life care.
It is a good idea to carry a copy of your advance directive when traveling. You may also create a wallet-sized card that indicates you have an advance directive, identifies your healthcare agent, and contains instructions for where to find your directive.
The U. Advance Care Plan Registry produces a card for you when you register. It contains your instructions for medical treatments for specific health-related emergencies or conditions. You also help reduce confusion or disagreement about the choices you would want people to make on your behalf. A medical or health care power of attorney is a type of advance directive in which you name a person to make decisions for you when you are unable to do so.
In some states this directive may also be called a durable power of attorney for health care or a health care proxy. Depending on where you live, the person you choose to make decisions on your behalf may be called one of the following:.
Choosing a person to act as your health care agent is important. Even if you have other legal documents regarding your care, not all situations can be anticipated and some situations will require someone to make a judgment about your likely care wishes. You should choose a person who meets the following criteria:. The person you name may be a spouse, other family member, friend or member of a faith community. You may also choose one or more alternates in case the person you chose is unable to fulfill the role.
A living will is a written, legal document that spells out medical treatments you would and would not want to be used to keep you alive, as well as your preferences for other medical decisions, such as pain management or organ donation.
In determining your wishes, think about your values. Consider how important it is to you to be independent and self-sufficient, and identify what circumstances might make you feel like your life is not worth living. Would you want treatment to extend your life in any situation? All situations? Would you want treatment only if a cure is possible? You should address a number of possible end-of-life care decisions in your living will.
Talk to your doctor if you have questions about any of the following medical decisions:. You don't need to have an advance directive or living will to have do not resuscitate DNR and do not intubate DNI orders. He or she will write the orders and put them in your medical record. Even if you already have a living will that includes your preferences regarding resuscitation and intubation, it is still a good idea to establish DNR or DNI orders each time you are admitted to a new hospital or health care facility.
Advance directives need to be in writing. Each state has different forms and requirements for creating legal documents. Depending on where you live, a form may need to be signed by a witness or notarized.
You can ask a lawyer to help you with the process, but it is generally not necessary. Review your advance directives with your doctor and your health care agent to be sure you have filled out forms correctly. When you have completed your documents, you need to do the following:. You can change your directives at any time. If you want to make changes, you must create a new form, distribute new copies and destroy all old copies. Specific requirements for changing directives may vary by state.
You should discuss changes with your primary care doctor and make sure a new directive replaces an old directive in your medical file.
An advance directive is a legal document that explains how you want medical decisions about you to be made if you cannot make the decisions yourself. An advance directive lets your health care team and loved ones know what kind of health care you want, or who you want to make decisions for you when you can't.
An advance directive can help you think ahead of time about what kind of care you want.
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