Health Care Directive

What is Health Care Directive?
A Health Care Directive is often called a Living Will. It is a document in which you indicate your wishes as to the medical treatment you do or do not want administered to you when you no longer can make such decisions for yourself. You may also appoint a person to be your health care proxy, or one who makes health care decisions on your behalf when you are no longer able to do so.

Who can make a Health Care Directive?
Generally, if you are 18 or over and have the capacity to provide or refuse consent to your current medical treatment, then you can make a Health Care Directive. Such a document, however, is only effective when you do not have the capacity to make or communicate your own health care decisions.

Who can be a health care proxy?
Your health care proxy should be a person who is 18 years of age or older and mentally competent. As well, he or she should be someone that you trust and to whom you have communicated your health care philosophy or wishes. You may even choose to appoint more than one proxy.

What if I change my mind?
You can destroy your Health Care Directive at any time or revoke it by making a new Health Care Directive. As well, you can indicate your intention to revoke your Directive in writing. If you have appointed your spouse as your proxy, the appointment will be revoked if the marriage is ended by divorce or annulment.

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