Advance Directives

Article submitted by Davis County Health Department Senior Services

An Advance Directive is a form that helps others give you the care you would want when you cannot make decisions. Other names for parts of the form are "Special Power of Attorney for Health Care," "Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care," or "Living Will."

You can benefit from having an Advance Directive at any age. You could have an accident or become ill. Without an Advance Directive, those making decisions for you may not know what you want. Worse still, your family and friends could argue over the care you should get. Help your family and friends to help you: name an agent and tell your agent and family about your health care wishes.

Utah's Advance Directive has four parts:

Part I
Allows you to name another person to make health care decisions for you when you cannot make decisions or speak for yourself.

Part II
Allows you to record your wishes about health care in writing.

Part III
Tells you how to revoke or change this directive.

Part IV
Makes your directive legal.

This is your document: change it as you like so that it states your wishes. If you want to make changes after you have signed the form, fill out a new form and destroy the old one.

The following are important things to know about Advance Directives:

You have the right to allow or refuse any health care at the time the need for care arises. This is true even after you have signed an Advance Directive and it gives different directions.
You do not have to complete an Advance Directive. No one can force you to fill out an Advance Directive. It is illegal for anyone to require you to fill out a directive.
You have the right to appoint a health care agent to make decisions for you.
You have the right to express your end-of-life care and other health care wishes.
You may fill out all parts of this Advance Directive or just parts of it.

For more information on Advance Directives contact your local Area Agency on Aging.