fbpx

Advance Health Care Directives

An advance directive allows you to make choices and decisions about your health care and treatment in advance – before you need the care or treatment and while you have capacity.

Choosing your treatment and care in advance is your right and an advance directive is a legal document that enables you to exercise this right.

It incorporates all the functions of a:

  • Living Will,
  • Health Care Proxy,
  • Substitute Decision-maker
  • Attorney-in-Fact , and/or
  • Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order

An advance directive that is correctly implemented and executed offers you the following benefits:

  • Promotes your individual autonomy (independence) and empowerment in the recovery from illness;
  • Enhances communication between you and your agent, family, friends, healthcare providers, and other professionals;
  • Protects you from being subjected to ineffective, unwanted, or possibly harmful treatments or actions; and
  • Helps in preventing crises or the resulting use of involuntary treatment or safety interventions that you may not want, such as restraint and seclusion.