What Is An Advance Directive?

A: An advance directive is a written or oral statement, which is made and witnessed in advance of serious illness or injury, about how you want medical decisions made. Two forms of advance directives are:

• “Living Will”
• Healthcare Surrogate Designation

An advance directive allows you to state your choices about healthcare or to name someone to make those choices for you if you become unable to make decisions about your medical treatment. An advance directive can enable you to make decisions about your future medical treatment.