{"id":355779,"date":"2016-04-04T10:45:23","date_gmt":"2016-04-04T15:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/elder\/what-is-elder-law\/what-are-advance-directives.html"},"modified":"2023-07-25T14:38:41","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T19:38:41","slug":"what-are-advance-directives","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/elder\/what-is-elder-law\/what-are-advance-directives.html","title":{"rendered":"What Are Advance Directives?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 fl-sectionWithSidebar fl-container fl-flex fl-flex-wrap fl-gap30\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-page-articles fl-section-main fl-section-main-full-width\">\n        <h1 class=\"fl-no-margin-top\">What Are Advance Directives?<\/h1>\n<section class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline\">\n    <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-content\">\n                    By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by <a\n                href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/melissa-bender-esq\/\">Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n                | Last updated\n        <time>\n                            July 25, 2023\n                    <\/time>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-legally-reviewed\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Legally Reviewed\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team.html\">FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/company-history\/editorial-policy.html\">our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n\n    <details class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle fl-gutenberg-byline-fast-checked\">\n        <summary>\n            <i class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n            Fact-Checked\n        <\/summary>\n\n        <div class=\"fl-gutenberg-byline-toggle-content\">\n            <p><em>The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/company\/our-team\/contributing-authors.html\">contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please <a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/?fli=bylinelink\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n        <\/div>\n    <\/details>\n<\/section>\n    <div class=\"fl-callout-text article-blockquote\">\n        <p>Having an advance health care directive is one of the most important things you can do if, in the future, you can no longer make medical care decisions on your own behalf. No matter how good your doctors are or how much your family loves you, they cannot read your mind.<\/p>\n\n    <\/div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image fl-no-margin\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://www.findlaw.com/static/c/images\/image\/upload\/ability-law\/wp-prod\/voting-older-adult-images-GettyImages-1296010651.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure><p>An advance health care directive allows you to make your wishes clear about medical orders such as a do not attempt resuscitation (DNR) order or a physician order for life-sustaining treatment (POLST).<\/p>\r\n<p>In simpler terms, it allows you to choose your health care wishes and make medical treatment decisions in advance of the end of your life. Advance care planning provides peace of mind to you, your family, and your caregivers. It also gives your health care providers clear guidance for emergencies and end-of-life care.<\/p>\r\n<h2>What Exactly Is an Advance Directive?<\/h2>\r\n<p>An advance directive is a legally valid estate planning document. Depending on the type of advance directive, it allows you to:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Express your wishes about the kind of medical treatments you want<\/li>\r\n<li>Give a person of your choosing the ability to make health care decisions on your behalf<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>This document is key before a medical situation arises that impairs your decision-making abilities. Advance directives are especially useful in medical emergencies or near the end of a person&#8217;s life.<\/p>\r\n<p>There are two main types of legal documents under the advance directive umbrella:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>A living will<\/li>\r\n<li>A durable health care power of attorney<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>States regulate the use of advance directives, and laws vary among the states. Some states permit family members to make all medical decisions for their incapacitated loved ones. In contrast, other states require clear evidence of the person&#8217;s wishes or a legally designated decisionmaker.<\/p>\r\n<h2>When Do Advance Directives Become Effective?<\/h2>\r\n<p>In most states, advance directives become effective after one or more doctors certify that:<\/p>\r\n<ol>\r\n<li>You are unable to make medical decisions on your own<\/li>\r\n<li>You are in a condition specified in the state&#8217;s living will law<\/li>\r\n<li>You meet other state requirements as applicable<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<p>To be valid, an advance directive must be:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Signed by you in the presence of two witnesses<\/li>\r\n<li>Signed by the two witnesses<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>The person you name as a health care agent cannot serve as a witness. Some states also require the advance directive to be notarized.<\/p>\r\n<h2>The Living Will Basics<\/h2>\r\n<p>A&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/forms\/living-will-form.html\">living will<\/a>&nbsp;allows you to legally establish your wishes about medical treatments if you become ill, disabled, or unable to communicate your wishes directly.<\/p>\r\n<p>States may also refer to a living will as a:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Health care declaration<\/li>\r\n<li>Medical directive<\/li>\r\n<li>Directive to physicians<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>No matter the term, the purpose of a living will is to instruct your family and healthcare professionals about your medical wishes at the end of your life. For example, your living will can establish whether you want a do-not-resuscitate order or want to be put on life support. You can also state whether you are open to organ or tissue donations and whether you are interested in palliative care at the end of your life.<\/p>\r\n<p>A living will takes effect once a physician (or more than one physician in some states) certifies your condition. The medical condition must be specified in your state&#8217;s living will laws. The living will only goes into effect after you cannot make medical decisions.<\/p>\r\n<p>FindLaw allows you to view a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/forms\/resources\/estate-planning\/living-will\/sample-living-will-form.html\">sample of a living will form<\/a>&nbsp;and read explanations of each section to better understand these forms.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Health Care Power of Attorney Basics<\/h2>\r\n<p>A health care power of attorney is also referred to as a:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Health care proxy<\/li>\r\n<li>Appointment of a health care agent<\/li>\r\n<li>Durable power of attorney for health care<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>You are in charge of making your own health care decisions until you are no longer able to do so. A health care power of attorney allows you to legally appoint someone to make decisions about your medical situation in the event you cannot speak for yourself.<\/p>\r\n<p>Typically, a health care power of attorney goes into effect after one or more doctors certify that your medical condition(s) qualifies under your state laws. They will also certify that you cannot make medical decisions on your own.<\/p>\r\n<p>If you wish to give someone the power to make financial decisions on your behalf, you can create a financial power of attorney.<\/p>\r\n<p>You can create a power of attorney with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/forms\/estate-planning\/power-of-attorney-form.html\">FindLaw&#8217;s DIY form<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Out-of-State Advance Directives<\/h2>\r\n<p>Some states will honor an advance directive from another state. This is especially true if the state laws have the same requirements for advance directives.<\/p>\r\n<p>Other states may not honor an out-of-state advance directive, so it&#8217;s important to create an advance directive in the state where you now live.<\/p>\r\n<h2>What To Do With a Completed Advance Directive<\/h2>\r\n<p>The best thing you can do after creating an advance directive is to make several photocopies of the completed advance directive form. It is also important that you keep the originals in a safe place.<\/p>\r\n<p>You never know when you will need the advance directive, so it is a good idea to give copies to your doctors, agent, family members, or friends.<\/p>\r\n<p>Lastly, if you are admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or other care facility, it may also be wise to bring your advance directive with you and keep it in your medical file.<\/p>\r\n<p>If you are unsure where to start with creating an advance directive or have other elder law or estate planning concerns,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lawyers.findlaw.com\/elder-law\/?fli=dcta\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">start by talking to an elder law attorney<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<div class=\"was-this-helpful\">\n    <div\n            class=\"was-this-helpful__question-container\"\n            aria-labelledby=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n            role=\"group\"\n    >\n        <span\n                id=\"was-this-helpful__question\"\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__question fl-text-lg-bold\"\n        >Was this helpful?<\/span>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"Yes\"\n                value=\"yes\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">Yes<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-up\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_604_3418)\">\n                        <path id=\"Vector\"\n                              d=\"M6 21H3C2.46957 21 1.96086 20.7893 1.58579 20.4142C1.21071 20.0391 1 19.5304 1 19V12C1 11.4696 1.21071 10.9609 1.58579 10.5858C1.96086 10.2107 2.46957 10 3 10H6M13 8V4C13 3.20435 12.6839 2.44129 12.1213 1.87868C11.5587 1.31607 10.7956 1 10 1L6 10V21H17.28C17.7623 21.0055 18.2304 20.8364 18.5979 20.524C18.9654 20.2116 19.2077 19.7769 19.28 19.3L20.66 10.3C20.7035 10.0134 20.6842 9.72068 20.6033 9.44225C20.5225 9.16382 20.3821 8.90629 20.1919 8.68751C20.0016 8.46873 19.7661 8.29393 19.5016 8.17522C19.2371 8.0565 18.9499 7.99672 18.66 8H13Z\"\n                              stroke=\"#666666\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\"\n                              stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path>\n                    <\/g>\n                    <defs>\n                        <clipPath id=\"clip0_604_3418\">\n                            <rect width=\"22\" height=\"22\" fill=\"white\"><\/rect>\n                        <\/clipPath>\n                    <\/defs>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/i>\n        <\/button>\n        <button\n                class=\"was-this-helpful__button fl-text-sm\"\n                aria-label=\"No\"\n                value=\"no\"\n        >\n            <span class=\"was-this-helpful__button-text fl-text-bold\">No<\/span>\n            <i class=\"was-this-helpful__button-icon\">\n                <svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 22 22\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n                    <g id=\"thumbs-down\" clip-path=\"url(#clip0_604_3423)\">\n                        <path id=\"Vector\"\n                              d=\"M16 0.999995H18.67C19.236 0.989986 19.7859 1.18813 20.2154 1.55681C20.645 1.9255 20.9242 2.43905 21 3V10C20.9242 10.5609 20.645 11.0745 20.2154 11.4432C19.7859 11.8119 19.236 12.01 18.67 12H16M9.00003 14V18C9.00003 18.7956 9.3161 19.5587 9.87871 20.1213C10.4413 20.6839 11.2044 21 12 21L16 12V0.999995H4.72003C4.2377 0.994543 3.76965 1.16359 3.40212 1.47599C3.0346 1.78839 2.79235 2.22309 2.72003 2.7L1.34003 11.7C1.29652 11.9866 1.31586 12.2793 1.39669 12.5577C1.47753 12.8362 1.61793 13.0937 1.80817 13.3125C1.99842 13.5313 2.23395 13.7061 2.49846 13.8248C2.76297 13.9435 3.05012 14.0033 3.34003 14H9.00003Z\"\n                              stroke=\"#666666\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n                    <\/g>\n                    <defs>\n                        <clipPath id=\"clip0_604_3423\">\n                            <rect width=\"22\" height=\"22\" fill=\"white\"\/>\n                        <\/clipPath>\n                    <\/defs>\n                <\/svg>\n            <\/i>\n        <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n    <span class=\"was-this-helpful__taken-action fl-text-sm-bold\"><\/span>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-container\">\n        <div class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message\" role=\"status\">\n            <p class=\"was-this-helpful__choose-option-message-text\"><\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form\">\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback was-this-helpful__feedback--positive\">\n                <fieldset>\n                    <legend class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Why was this helpful?<\/legend>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--understandable\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Easy to understand\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--understandable\"\n                        >Easy to understand<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--solved-problem\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"positive-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Solved my problem\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--solved-problem\"\n                        >Solved my problem<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--other\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                               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was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--missing-info\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Missing Information\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--missing-info\"\n                        >Missing the information I need<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--complicated\"\n                           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value=\"Out of date\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--dated\"\n                        >Out of date<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                    <div class=\"fl-radio-button-field fl-flex was-this-helpful__feedback-form-title\">\n                        <input\n                                id=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--negative-other\"\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-input\"\n                                type=\"radio\"\n                                name=\"negative-feedback\"\n                                value=\"Other\"\n                        >\n                        <label\n                                class=\"fl-radio-button-field-label fl-text-sm was-this-helpful__radio-label\"\n                                for=\"was-this-helpful__radio-button--negative-other\"\n                        >Other<\/label>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/fieldset>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"was-this-helpful__form-buttons-container\">\n                <button\n                    class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-button was-this-helpful__feedback-button--positive at-feedback-submit fl-button secondary\"\n                    type=\"submit\"\n                >\n                    <span class=\"fl-button-content\">Submit<\/span>\n                    <i\n                        class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n                <button\n                    class=\"was-this-helpful__feedback-button was-this-helpful__feedback-button--cancel fl-button primary disabled\"\n                    type=\"reset\"\n                >\n                    <span class=\"fl-button-content\">Cancel<\/span>\n                    <i\n                        class=\"fa fa-times-circle medium\"\n                        aria-hidden=\"true\"\n                    ><\/i>\n                <\/button>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message\" role=\"status\">\n        <i class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-icon fa fa-check\"><\/i>\n        <p class=\"was-this-helpful__thank-you-message-text\" aria-live=\"polite\"><\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n    <\/div>\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-section-sidebar\">\n        <div class=\"fl-editors-summary\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary\">\n    \n    <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content\">\n                    <h2>Can I Solve This on My Own or Do I Need an Attorney?<\/h2>\n                <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-main\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-main\">\n            \n        <\/div>\n        <ul class=\"fl-list-style-none\">\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    Complex elder law situations usually require a lawyer\n\n                <\/li>\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    A lawyer can reduce the chances of a family dispute\n\n                <\/li>\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/forms\/estate-planning\/living-will-form.html\">DIY living wills<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/forms\/estate-planning\/power-of-attorney-form.html\">powers of attorney<\/a>\u00a0are possible in some simple cases\n\n                <\/li>\n                            <li data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-item\">\n                    <i class=\"fa fa-check medium fl-editors-summary-content-item-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\n                    You can always have an attorney review your form\n\n                <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n                    <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-description\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-description\">\n                <p>Get\u00a0tailored\u00a0advice\u00a0and ask your legal questions.\u00a0Many attorneys offer free consultations.<\/p>\n\n            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"fl-editors-summary-content-link fl-flex\" data-testid=\"fl-editors-summary-content-link\">\n                <i class=\"fa fa-angle-right medium\" 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<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FindLaw explains the basics of advance directives. No matter how good your doctors are or how much your family loves you, they cannot read your mind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41135,"featured_media":0,"parent":355772,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"app\/Http\/Controllers\/Templates\/ArticleWithBreadcrumbsController.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_autodraft_ids":[],"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"_sb_is_suggestion_mode":false,"_sb_show_suggestion_boards":false,"_sb_show_comment_boards":false,"_sb_suggestion_history":"","_sb_update_block_changes":"","_is_real_time_mode":false,"_realtime_collaborators":"","footnotes":"","cf_checklist_status":[]},"categories":[2738],"tags":[],"state_laws_tags":[],"flmsa":[],"class_list":["post-355779","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-elder"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/355779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355779"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/355779\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/355772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355779"},{"taxonomy":"state_laws_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/state_laws_tags?post=355779"},{"taxonomy":"flmsa","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/law-api\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/flmsa?post=355779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}