What types of Advance Care Planning Documents do you need?
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Advance Directive – Living Will and Medical Powers of Attorney Advance Directive is a general term used to describe two types of documents – living wills and medical powers of attorney. These planning documents allow you to convey the type of care you want if you cannot speak for yourself including the extent to which you want life-sustaining medical treatments, and who should make those decisions if you cannot. Advance directives are not only focused on what treatments you don't want, they also should include all of the treatments you do want.
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Living Wills (sometimes called medical directives) are written instructions for care in the event that you are not able to make medical decisions for yourself. Currently, 47 states and the District of Columbia have laws authorizing living wills. State law, however, can vary on signing requirements and other aspects of a living will, so it is important to check on your state's requirements when completing a living will.
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Power of Attorney (sometimes called a health care or durable power of attorney) is a document that appoints a particular person as a health care proxy or health care agent to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to do so yourself (not just during a terminal illness).
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A health care proxy is your substitute decision-maker. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws recognizing health care powers of attorney. Some specify the types of decisions that health care proxies can make.
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Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) is a physician's order that is written in a person's medical record indicating that health care providers should not attempt life-saving measures such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the event of a cardiac arrest, a heart attack, or respiratory arrest. A request for a DNR can be included in your planning documents, or communicated directly to your physician. Also, most health care facilities have a Do Not Resuscitate order policy and forms that a hospital professional can help you with if you choose this option after being admitted to a hospital.