Advance Healthcare Directives are more commonly known as "Living Wills." However, they have nothing to do with living and they are not wills. Living Wills only give guidance on how you choose to die.
Unless a patient is in terminal final stage illness or in hospice, an Advance Healthcare Directive (Living Will) should not be presented to any hospital or healthcare professional.
To provide legal guidance and decision making for all the medical emergencies and major illnesses we may face during our lifetime, a properly drafted Healthcare Power of Attorney is essential. This will be needed to give your Healthcare Agent (the person you appoint to make decisions when you are not able) access to your medical records, permit that person to hire and discharge doctors, admit you to hospitals, and take all and take all steps to provide for your care.
This document is an ESSENTIAL part of everyone's life and can be the difference between you receiving the proper healthcare or becoming an unfortunate statistic.
