Advance directives

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Advance directives

Advance directives (pronunciation: ad-vans di-rek-tivs) are legal documents that allow an individual to convey their decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time. They provide a way for individuals to communicate their wishes to family, friends and health care professionals, and to avoid confusion later on.

Etymology

The term "advance directives" originates from the words "advance," meaning to move forward, and "directive," which refers to an official or authoritative instruction.

Types of Advance Directives

There are two main types of advance directives:

  • Living Will: A living will spells out what types of medical treatment and life-sustaining measures you want or don't want, such as mechanical breathing (respiration and ventilation), tube feeding or resuscitation.
  • Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (also known as a Health Care Proxy): This type of advance directive names a healthcare proxy, who is someone you choose to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so.

Related Terms

  • Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST): POLST is an approach to end-of-life planning based on conversations between patients, loved ones, and medical professionals designed to ensure that seriously ill or frail patients can choose the treatments they want or do not want.
  • Health Care Proxy: A health care proxy is a person designated to make medical decisions for someone else if they are unable to do so.

See Also

External links

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