Advance Directives

What Is a Medical Advance Directive?

A medical advance directive is a legal document. It is prepared while you are able to think rationally and make decisions, and provides guidance for future medical care should you become unable to communicate your wishes at that time. Medical advance directives are simple documents that can be prepared with the help of your attorney, physician or a social worker, and are a wise way to prepare for the future.

All About Advance Directives

Healthcare Surrogate Act of Illinois

Illinois passed the Healthcare Surrogate Act to lessen the emotional distress of physicians and family members who must make the decision to forgo lifesaving treatment on behalf of another person. The Act helps doctors by listi...

Advance Directives in Nursing Home Care

But the parameters of such a document are controlled by state law, so it's crucial to know the laws in your state and to use an appropriate form. The most common instructions in advanced directives concern whether or not you wa...

Pros & Cons of Advance Directives

According to the University of Washington School of Medicine, advance directives are special documents that allow you to make certain health-related choices in advance. You can spell out your preferences for treatment while you...

Pros & Cons of Having an Advance Directive

If you become seriously ill or injured and cannot speak for yourself, an advance directive conveys your wishes regarding your health care. For example, you may not want to be placed on a ventilator, but you may wish to continue...

Information on Advance Directives

An advance directive lets treating physicians and family members know how a person prefers to be treated if he is incapable of making those wishes known. An advance directive is a legal document that follows a set of guidelines...

What is an Advance Directive?

Physicians and more than 75 national organizations believe that Advance Directives are so important that recently 50 states adopted the first National Healthcare Decisions Day, which takes place on April 16. And What is an Adv...