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What is Advance Care Planning? Advance Care Planning Learn what advance directives are, what happens if you complete an advance directive, where to get them and other important information. Advance care planning is making decisions about the care you would want to receive if you happen to become unable to speak for yourself. These are your decisions to make, regardless of what you choose for your care, and the decisions are based on your personal values, preferences, and discussion with your loved ones. A part of advance care planning is also communicating your wishes with your loved ones and healthcare providers to provide guidance and comfort to them if something should happen to you. Advance care planning includes:       Getting information on the types of life-sustaining treatments that are available. Deciding what types of treatment you would or would not want should you be diagnosed with a life-limiting illness. Getting information on how your disease will progress if you have a lifelimiting illness. Discussing with your doctor what your treatments are expected to accomplish and what the risks of these treatments are. Sharing your personal values with your loved ones. Your spiritual values and beliefs make up who you are and may determine which procedures you want – or do not want. Using advance directives to put into writing what types of treatments you would want if you are no longer able to speak for yourself What Are Advance Directives? Advance Care Planning Learn what advance directives are, what happens if you complete an advance directive, where to get them and other important information. The term advance directive describes two types of legal documents that enable you to plan for and communicate your end-of-life wishes in the event that you are unable to communicate:   A living will allows you to document your wishes concerning medical treatments at the end of life. A medical power of attorney (or health care proxy) allows you to appoint a person you trust as your health care agent (or surrogate decision maker), who is authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf. Advance directives are legally valid throughout the United States . While you do not need a lawyer to fill out an advance directive, your advance directive becomes legally valid as soon as you sign them in front of the required witnesses. The laws governing advance directives vary from state to state, so it is important to complete and sign advance directives that comply with your state's law. Also, advance directives can have different titles in different states. Before your Living will can guide medical decisionmaking two physicians must certify:    You are unable to make medical decisions, You are in the medical condition specified in the state's living will law (such as "terminal illness" or "permanent unconsciousness"), Other requirements also may apply, depending upon the state. Before most states Medical power of attorney goes into effect a persons physician must conclude that they are unable to make their own medical decisions. In addition:    If a person regains the ability to make decisions, the agent cannot continue to act on the persons behalf. Many states have additional requirements that apply only to decisions about life- sustaining medical treatments. For example, before your agent can refuse a life-sustaining treatment on your behalf, a second physician may have to confirm your doctor's assessment that you are incapable of making treatment decisions. What Else Do I Need to Know?  Emergency medical technicians cannot honor living wills or medical powers of attorney. Once emergency personnel have been called, they must do what is necessary to stabilize a patient for transfer to a hospital, both from accident sites and from a home or other facility. After a physician fully evaluates the person's condition and determines the underlying conditions, advance directives can be implemented. One state’s advance directive does not always work in another state. Some states do honor advance directives from another state; others will honor out-ofstate advance directives as long as they are similar to the state's own law; and some states do not have an answer to this question. The best solution is if you spend a significant amount of time in more than one state, you should complete the advance directives for all the states you spend a significant amount of time in. It will be easier to have your advance directives honored if they are the ones with which the medical facility is familiar. Advance directives do not expire. An advance directive remains in effect until you change it. If you complete a new advance directive, it invalidates the previous one. You should review your advance directives periodically to ensure that they still reflect your wishes. If you want to change anything in an advance directive once you have completed it, you should complete a whole new document.    What is Advance Care Planning? What is Advance Care Planning? What Are Advance Directives? What Are Advance Directives? Choosing a Health Care Agent Choosing a Health Care Agent Communicating Your End-of-Life Wishes Communicating Your End-of-Life Wishes Talking with Others About Their End-of-Life Wishes Talking with Others About Their End-of-Life Wishes Preparing Your Advance Directives Preparing Your Advance Directives Download Your State’s Advance Directives Download Your State’s Advance Directives What to Do After Your Advance Directives are Signed What to Do After Your Advance Directives are Signed Advance Care Planning Checklist Advance Care Planning Checklist Glossary Glossary Resources Resources Introduction to Caregiving Introduction to Caregiving Being Prepared Being Prepared Providing Physical Care Providing Physical Care Providing Comfort Care Providing Comfort Care What Services Are Available to Assist Caregivers? What Services Are Available to Assist Caregivers? Preparing Your Home Preparing Your Home Caring For The Caregiver: Acknowledging You Need Assistance Caring For The Caregiver: Acknowledging You Need Assistance Glossary Glossary Resources Resources The Truth about Pain The Truth about Pain How to Manage Your Pain How to Manage Your Pain How to Talk to Your Doctor about Pain How to Talk to Your Doctor about Pain Your Pain Treatment Goals Your Pain Treatment Goals About Living With Side Effects About Living With Side Effects Voice Your Questions Voice Your Questions Pain Checklist Pain Checklist Glossary Glossary Resources Resources End-of-Life Financial Planning End-of-Life Financial Planning Long-Term Care Long-Term Care Programs for Older Persons with Limited Incomes and Assets Programs for Older Persons with Limited Incomes and Assets Who Pays for Hospice and Palliative Care? Who Pays for Hospice and Palliative Care? Funeral and Memorial Service Expenses Funeral and Memorial Service Expenses Glossary Glossary Resources Resources What is Hospice? What is Hospice? How Does Hospice Work? How Does Hospice Work? How is Hospice Paid for? How is Hospice Paid for? How Do I Begin Receiving Hospice? How Do I Begin Receiving Hospice? How to Choose a Hospice How to Choose a Hospice Find a Hospice Program Find a Hospice Program Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions What is Palliative Care? What is Palliative Care? Choosing a Palliative Care Program Choosing a Palliative Care Program Hospice Checklist Hospice Checklist Glossary Glossary Resources Resources Grief During the Holidays Grief During the Holidays Grief and Loss in Today's World Grief and Loss in Today's World Grief and Bereavement Grief and Bereavement Culture and Its Relationship to Grief and Mourning Culture and Its Relationship to Grief and Mourning Anticipatory Grief and Mourning Anticipatory Grief and Mourning Sudden Loss Sudden Loss Complicated Grief Complicated Grief The Grief Experience The Grief Experience Grief Support Grief Support Supporting Friends or Family Who Are Grieving Supporting Friends or Family Who Are Grieving Supporting a Grieving Caregiver Supporting a Grieving Caregiver Tips for Helping Grieving Employees Tips for Helping Grieving Employees Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions Glossary Glossary Resources Resources Caring Connections Home > Advance Care Planning Advance Care Planning Checklist Advance Care Planning Learn what advance directives are, what happens if you complete an advance directive, where to get them and other important information.               Get the information you need to make informed choices about end-of-life treatments. Discuss your thoughts, concerns and choices with your loved ones. Talk to your doctor about different treatments. Obtain copies of advance directives (a living will and medical power of attorney) for your state. Choose a trusted family member or close friend who is willing to be your advocate if you cannot s for yourself. Appoint this person as your health care agent. Complete the advance directives that follow your state’s law. Talk to your health care agent, family and doctor about your choices. Discuss your choices often, especially when your medical condition changes. Keep your completed advance directives in an accessible place. Give photocopies of the signed originals to your health care agent, alternate agents, doctor, famil friends, clergy and anyone else who might be involved in your healthcare. Encourage your family and loved ones to complete their own advance directives. Engage others in discussions about end-of-life care issues and encourage them to complete thei advance directives. Get to know end-of-life care services that are available to you such as hospice and palliative care providers. For more information about where to find a hospice or palliative care provider, click h Seek out opportunities to help others who are dealing with end-of-life care issues such as volunte with a local hospice or end-of-life care coalition. For more information about where to find a hosp end-of-life care coalition, click here. For more information about how you can engage others, contact Caring Connections at 800/658- 8898 or e consumers@nhpco.org. Resources Glossary Web services provided by internet4associations