Directive to Physicians & Family or Surrogates
The Health Care Directive is also known as an “Advance Directive” or what many people call a “Living Will.” This estate planning document instructs your health care provider and the people you designate on what your end-of-life decisions are. Specifically, the Directive designates how you would want to be treated in the event of a terminal or irreversible condition when you are unable to make medical decisions yourself because of an illness or injury.
The purpose of the Directive is to provide instructions to your physician on when to withhold or administer life-sustaining treatments if you are diagnosed with a terminal or irreversible condition.
A Directive can help ease some of the anxiety or pressure that a loved one may feel when having to make a difficult choice, since your wishes will be known in the Directive.