Advance Directives

Advance Directives are instructions given by you specifying what actions should be taken for your health in the event that you are no longer able to make decisions due to illness or incapacity.  For your convenience, SCHOA has provided information on Advance Directives and access to sample forms if you choose to develop these directives on your own.  Alternatively, you may want to contact an attorney to write your directives since pricing for their development is typically reasonable and you will be assured that the final documents are legally correct and actionable.  Nevertheless, whichever way you proceed, having Advance Directives is important so that healthcare providers have clear instructions in advance as to what to do to address your healthcare needs.

If you choose to create these directives yourself, the Arizona Advance Directory Registry  is a database for the storage of these documents.  Examples of typical Advance Directives are as follows:

Living Will

A Living Will usually only comes into effect if you are terminally ill. Being terminally ill generally means that you have less than six months to live. In a Living Will, you can say what kind of treatment you want in certain situations, but its use may be limited only to situations when you are determined to be terminally ill.

Medical Power of Attorney

A Medical Power of Attorney lets you name someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unconscious or unable to make medical decisions for yourself for any reason. A Medical Power of Attorney can be part of another advance directive, such as a Health Care Directive or Living Will, or it may be a separate document.

Mental Health Care Power of Attorney

A Mental Health Care Power of Attorney lets you name someone to make decisions about mental health treatment for you if you are found incapable. These decisions shall be consistent with any wishes you have expressed in a mental health care directive, mental health care power of attorney, health care power of attorney or other advance directive.

For comprehensive information on the creation and use of Advance Directives or to view or print an actual form, go to http://www.hcdecisions.org/.