Health Care Directives are also sometime called living wills. They are your instructions to family and health care providers about what kinds of extraordinary care you do or do not want under certain circumstances.
Typically, directives address what kind of care you do or do not want if two doctors have certified that you are in a terminal condition or in a permanent vegetative state.
They can address other issues of concern. It is not uncommon to address treatment restrictions due to religious beliefs. Under state laws, directives are frequently not effective if you happen to be pregnant.
It is difficult to know what the circumstances of your eventual death may be, but as long as you can speak for yourself, you can change your mind and revise or revoke your health care directive.
There are no right or wrong answers about treatment under these circumstances; the goal is simply to make sure your wishes are known and followed.
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