Nobody Gets Out AliveAdvance directive and living will
A written statement of the care you do and don’t want if you can’t speak for yourself.
Not medical advice. This page is general information. Laws and forms vary where you live, and so does every family. Your doctor can tell you what applies to you.
An advance directive is a written statement of the kind of care you do and don’t want if you can’t speak for yourself. It speaks for you when you can’t, for example if you are very ill, unconscious or unable to make decisions.
A living will is one kind of advance directive. It usually covers treatments such as CPR, breathing machines and feeding tubes. Many advance directives also name the person who will speak for you, which is your health care proxy.
The rules differ by state and country: which form to use, who has to witness or notarize it, and how it is stored. Your doctor, hospital or state health department can tell you what applies where you live.
A form in a drawer helps nobody if your family has never heard you say what is on it. Talk first, write it down second, and tell your doctor third. Keep a copy where your family can find it and give copies to the person you named.
Questions to talk over
- What kind of care would I want, and not want, if I could not speak for myself?
- Where is the form kept, and who has a copy?
Covered in Episode 1: The Conversation We Keep Avoiding.