Advance Directive Insert Arrow For Free

An advance directive is a direction from the patient, not a medical order. In contrast, a POLST form consists of a set of medical orders that applies to a limited population of patients and addresses a limited number of critical medical decisions.

Advance directives generally fall into three categories: living will, power of attorney and health care proxy.

There are two main types of advance directive the Living Will and the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care. There are also hybrid documents which combine elements of the Living Will with those of the Durable Power of Attorney. A Living Will is the oldest type of health care advance directive.

To be valid, an advance directive must be signed by you in the presence of two witnesses, who will also sign. The person you name as a health care agent may not also be a witness. Some states also require the advance directive to be notarized.

So what's the difference between an advance directive and a living will? The short answer is that a living will is a type of advance directive, while advance directive is a broad term used to describe any legal document that addresses your future medical care.

Types of Advance DirectivesThe living will.Durable power of attorney for health care/Medical power of attorney.POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment)Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders.Organ and tissue donation.May 13, 2019

There are two main elements in an advance directivea living will and a durable power of attorney for health care. There are also other documents that can supplement your advance directive. You can choose which documents to create, depending on how you want decisions to be made.