What are advance directives?

Advance directives are primarily written instructions regarding end-of-life care, allowing individuals to communicate their preferences about medical treatment should they become unable to do so themselves. This can include choices about life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation efforts, and other aspects of care that reflect the individual's values and wishes. The purpose of advance directives is to guide healthcare providers and family members in making decisions that honor the patient's desires, ensuring that their treatment aligns with what they would have chosen.

While oral instructions, verbal agreements, and documents for healthcare proxies may play roles in discussing or executing one’s healthcare preferences, they do not fully encapsulate the comprehensive nature of advance directives. Advance directives must be in written form to provide clear, legally recognized guidance when the patient is no longer able to communicate their wishes. Thus, written directives ensure that the intentions of the individual are documented and can be acted upon legally by healthcare teams and family members alike.