Is a health care advance directive the same as a living will?
No. It serves some of the purposes served by a living will but serves other purposes too. – A living will (or “medical directive” or “declaration” or “directive to physicians”) is simply a written instruction spelling out any treatments you want or don’t want if you are unable to speak for yourself and terminally ill or permanently unconscious. A living will says in effect, “Whoever is deciding, please follow these instructions!” On its own, a living will is very limited?it usually applies only to end-of-life decisions, and standard instructions tend to be general. Unless you have a good crystal ball, it is impossible to anticipate every future medical scenario. – A health care power of attorney (or health care “proxy,” or “medical power of attorney”) is a document that appoints someone of your choosing to be your authorized “agent” (or “attorney-in-fact” or “proxy”). You can give your agent as much or as little authority as you wish to make health care decisions. The decisions are not
