Advance Health Care Directive

An advance health care directive gives you the right to provide instructions about your own health care. It also gives you the right to name someone else to make health care decisions for you. It also lets you express your wishes regarding donation of organs and the designation of your primary physician.

An advance health care directive lets you give specific instructions about any aspect of your health care, whether or not you appoint an agent. This includes expressing your wishes regarding the provision, withholding, or withdrawal of treatment to keep you alive, as well as the provision of pain relief. You can also include any additional wishes regarding your health care.

Another aspect of an advance health care directive is the power of attorney for health care. A power of attorney for health care lets you name another individual as agent to make health care decisions for you if you become incapable of making your own decisions or if you want someone else to make those decisions for you now even though you are still capable. You may also name an alternate agent to act for you if your first choice is not willing, able, or reasonably available to make decisions for you.

An advance health care directive also lets you express an intention to donate your bodily organs, tissues, and parts following your death. You can also designate a physician to have primary responsibility for your health care.

Speak with an experienced estate planning attorney to discuss the addition of a comprehensive advance health care directive to your estate plan.