Facts on File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine

APPENDIX II

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

Advance directives are instructions a person pre-
pares that state his or her desires and preferences
for end-of-life care. Typically advance directives
consist of two legal documents

• a living will, which specifies the person’s inten-
  tions in regard to medical treatment and resus-
  citative efforts


• a durable power of attorney for health care, also
  called durable medical power of attorney,
  which authorizes another individual (called a
  health-care agent or proxy) to make medical
  decisions on behalf of a person in the circum-
  stance of a medical crisis when the person is
  unable to make such decisions

Advance directives are valid in all states in the

United States, though each state has unique laws,

regulations, and procedures for implementing

advance directives. Documents should be

updated, renewed, and resigned every few years

to ensure currency. Information for obtaining and

completing advance directive forms for each state

is available through

National Hospice and Palliative

Care Organization (NHPCO)

1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 625

Alexandria, VA 22314

703-837-1500

http://www.nhpco.org

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