What is an Advance Directive?
An advance directive is a legally binding document in which you express your wishes for your health care in the event that you become unable to make your own health care decisions. A health care proxy is an advance directive in which you appoint another person to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself. In Massachusetts, health care proxies are authorized by chapter 201D of Massachusetts General Laws.
An advance directive tells your doctor what kind of care you would like to have if you become unable to make medical decisions for yourself. A good advance directive describes the kind of treatment you would want, depending on how sick you are. For example, the directives would describe what kind of care you want if you have an illness that you are unlikely to recover from, or if you are permanently unconscious. Advance directives usually tell your doctor that you don’t want certain kinds of treatment. However, they can also say that you want a certain treatment, no matter how ill you are. Laws about advance directives are different in each state. You should be aware of the laws in your state. Download your state’s Advance Directive documents here.
” An advance directive is a written document in which you specify what type of medical care you want in the future should you lose the ability to make decisions. 2. Must I have an advance directive? No. The decision to have an advance directive is purely voluntary. No family member, hospital or insurance company can force you to have one, or dictate what the document should say if you decide to write one. 3. Are there different types of advance directives? Yes. Two types are a durable power of attorney for health care and a living will. 4. What is a “durable power of attorney for health care?” A durable power of attorney for health care, also known as a health care proxy, is a document in which you give another person power to make medical treatment and related personal care decisions for you. 5. Is a durable power of attorney for health care legally binding in Michigan? Yes, based on a recent state law. 6. Who is eligible to have a durable power of attorney for health care? You must b
