ADVANCE HEALTH CARE DIRECTIVE
The Advance Health Care Directive (Health Care Power of Attorney) allows you to make decisions as to whether you want life support, artificial nutrition and/or hydration. You can also specify the pain medication that you want and whether you want to live your last moments at home. They are very flexible documents and give your family members the guidance they need as to your last wishes.
It is no longer necessary to have a “Living Will” which specifies that you do not want any heroic measures to prolong your life or that you do not want any artificial means, such as life support systems, used when you are in a coma. Instead, these provisions are put in your “Advance Health Care Directive” so that this one document spells out all of your last wishes.