Advance Directives are legal documents that allow you to write down your preferences about your future medical care in the event you are unable to express your medical wishes. Advance Directives can provide clear guidance to health care providers and loved ones. It is important to let your physician and loved ones know your wishes for treatment should you ever be unable to express them and have the latest copy of your advance directive on file. Most health facilities assume you want all available medical treatment, including life-sustaining care, unless you direct otherwise. 

There are two types of Advance Directives:

(1) Health Care Directive (also known as Living Will) –

tells what your wishes are if you are not able to speak for yourself.
Click on this link to download Advance Directive document to complete.
It must be signed in front of two witnesses or a notary to make it valid.

(2) Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA)
    (a)   for Health Care –

assigns someone to speak for you if you are not able to speak for yourself.
Click on this link to download DPOA for healthcare document to complete. 
It must be signed in front of two witnesses or a notary to make it valid.

    (b)    for Finances

assigns someone who can manage money if you are unable to do it for yourself
Banks and financial institutions often require notary and don’t accept 2 witnesses.
DPOA for Finances is on the same page above with Healthcare DPOA

Once you’ve filled out your Advance Directives:

• Provide copies of your Advance Directives to your healthcare agent and to your doctors so they can put them in your medical record
• It is a good idea to review these documents when you have substantial health changes because preferences can change.
• You can always complete new Advance Directives to reflect your current wishes. Just make sure to let your healthcare agent and doctors know and void any previous Advance Directives.
• If more than one Advance Directive is present, the most recent date is considered to be the most current.