Recent Articles

Senator's death calls attention to aortic dissection

Taking breaks from sitting to move around may lower cancer risk

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may lower the need for knee replacement

Peptides: What they are, potential benefits, and safety concerns

Atherosclerosis: Can AI help your doctor detect it?

Beef tallow, seed oils, and full-fat dairy: Are any of them heart-healthy?

Cardiac amyloidosis: Better detection and new treatments

Lose more weight and protect your heart by pairing exercise with eating fewer calories

American Cancer Society expands testing recommendations for colorectal cancer screening

Heart risks from cannabis remain hazy but warrant caution

Advance Directives Forms

You may be in robust health today. An emergency such as a car accident or a stroke could change that in a heartbeat, as could the diagnosis of a severe, life-threatening illness. Aging can also change your health landscape. If you haven't prepared advance directives or chosen a health care proxy, medical choices could be left to worried relatives or to a doctor or guardian appointed by a judge, none of whom may have a clear understanding of your values, beliefs, and preferences.

Advance Care Planning: A guide to advance directives, living wills, and other strategies for communicating health care preferences, helps guide you through the process of establishing advance directives and appointing a health care proxy.

Here are four key forms that can assist you are a Health Care Power of Attorney, a Health Decisions Worksheet, a Generic Living Will, a Sample POLST form, and an Advance Directives Tracking Sheet.

Health Care Power of Attorney

Health Decisions Worksheet

Generic Living Will

Sample POLST form

Print This Page

Disclaimer:

As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.