An Advance Health Care Directive is a legal document that records your health care wishes and designates who will make medical decisions on your behalf if you cannot do so. For residents of Morongo Valley and surrounding areas, having a clear directive helps family members and medical providers follow your preferences for treatment, life-sustaining care, and comfort measures. Preparing this document as part of a broader estate plan, alongside a will or trust and powers of attorney, ensures your health care and personal values are respected. This guide explains why an Advance Health Care Directive matters and how to create one that reflects your priorities.
Creating an Advance Health Care Directive involves thoughtful decisions about medical interventions, end-of-life care, and choosing a trusted decision-maker. Many clients find the process reassuring because it reduces uncertainty and family conflict during emergencies. In California, this document interacts with other important estate planning tools such as a financial power of attorney, HIPAA authorization, and a living trust. Our overview will walk through key components, common scenarios, and practical steps you can take to make sure your health care wishes are recorded accurately and communicated effectively to those who will need them.
An Advance Health Care Directive offers peace of mind by clarifying your medical preferences and naming someone to make decisions if you cannot speak for yourself. It minimizes the chance of disputes among family members and provides guidance to medical teams about your values regarding life-sustaining treatments, pain management, and comfort care. It also ensures decisions align with your wishes during sudden illness or long-term incapacity. For families in Morongo Valley, the directive can be a cornerstone of a thoughtful estate plan, coordinating with documents like a will, trust, and health care proxy to protect both your health and financial interests.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman assists clients in San Jose and throughout California with estate planning documents including Advance Health Care Directives, powers of attorney, and wills. Our team focuses on practical, clear guidance that helps individuals and families make informed choices about medical decision-making, incapacity planning, and end-of-life care. We prioritize listening to each client’s values, explaining legal options in accessible language, and preparing documents that meet California requirements so they are effective when needed. Our goal is to make the process straightforward and respectful of your priorities and family circumstances.
An Advance Health Care Directive typically contains two parts: instructions about the types of medical treatment you want or do not want, and the designation of an agent to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become unable to communicate. In California, this document works alongside other authorizations such as HIPAA releases so providers can share medical information with your agent. It can address preferences for resuscitation, artificial nutrition and hydration, pain control, and comfort measures. Knowing which decisions to include and how to word them helps ensure the document guides care consistently with your values.
When preparing an Advance Health Care Directive, many people consider scenarios such as prolonged unconsciousness, advanced dementia, terminal illness, or sudden incapacitation after an accident. The directive should name a reliable agent who understands your beliefs about quality of life and medical intervention. It is also helpful to name alternates and to discuss your wishes with family and healthcare providers in advance. Regularly reviewing and updating the directive as circumstances change helps maintain alignment with current wishes, especially after major health events, changes in family dynamics, or relocation within California.
An Advance Health Care Directive is a written legal instrument that expresses your preferences for health care and appoints an agent to decide for you if you lack capacity. It is not limited to terminal scenarios; it covers a range of treatment decisions and can take effect when you are unable to participate in decisions. The document should be signed and witnessed or notarized according to California rules to be considered valid. It is important to provide clear instructions and consider including a HIPAA authorization so medical information can be shared with your agent and family members to support informed decision-making.
A complete Advance Health Care Directive includes your treatment preferences, agent designation with contact information, alternates in case the primary agent is unavailable, and any specific instructions about life-sustaining measures or organ donation. Drafting also involves executing the document with the required signatures and witnesses or notarization, distributing copies to your agent and healthcare providers, and recording it with institutions that accept such documents if appropriate. Keeping a copy with other estate planning documents and discussing your wishes with those involved reduces confusion and helps ensure your preferences are followed.
Understanding common terms used in an Advance Health Care Directive helps you make informed choices. Terms such as agent, capacity, life-sustaining treatment, resuscitation, and HIPAA authorization appear frequently and carry specific legal and medical meanings. This glossary clarifies those concepts and explains how they affect decisions in emergency or long-term care situations. Familiarity with these terms enables clearer communication with your appointed decision maker and medical providers, and helps you draft instructions that accurately reflect your wishes across different healthcare scenarios.
The agent, sometimes called a health care proxy or surrogate, is the person you appoint to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. Choosing an agent involves selecting someone who understands your values, is willing to advocate for your wishes, and can communicate effectively with healthcare providers and family. It is wise to name alternate agents in case the primary agent is unavailable, and to provide guidance within the directive about how you want decisions to be made. Communicating expectations to the agent ahead of time reduces stress and supports better decision-making in urgent circumstances.
Capacity refers to your ability to understand relevant information and make informed decisions about medical treatment. Healthcare professionals evaluate capacity when determining whether you can consent to or refuse treatment. If a physician determines you lack capacity, the agent named in your Advance Health Care Directive is authorized to make decisions consistent with your documented wishes. Capacity can fluctuate, so temporary incapacity may activate certain provisions. Including clear instructions in your directive helps guide the agent and medical team when assessing treatment options during periods when your decision-making ability is diminished.
Life-sustaining treatment covers medical interventions that prolong life, such as mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, dialysis, and artificial nutrition and hydration. In an Advance Health Care Directive, you can express preferences about whether to accept, limit, or decline such treatments under specified conditions. Clear language about acceptable interventions and the circumstances under which they should be withheld or withdrawn helps both your agent and medical providers honor your values. Discussing these choices with loved ones also prepares your agent to make difficult decisions in stressful situations.
A HIPAA authorization allows your healthcare providers to share protected health information with designated individuals, including the agent named in an Advance Health Care Directive. Without this authorization, privacy rules can restrict the flow of medical information to family members or decision makers. Including a HIPAA release alongside your directive ensures your agent receives the medical details necessary to make informed choices and coordinate care. It also streamlines communication during emergencies and helps prevent delays in treatment caused by information gaps or administrative barriers.
An Advance Health Care Directive addresses medical decision-making, while instruments like a financial power of attorney and a living trust handle financial and property matters. A HIPAA authorization complements the directive by permitting access to medical records. A will or trust controls asset distribution after death and typically does not govern medical care during life. Choosing the right combination of documents ensures both your healthcare preferences and financial affairs are managed according to your wishes. Coordinating these tools reduces the likelihood of gaps or conflicts and supports a comprehensive approach to personal planning.
For individuals with straightforward medical preferences and minimal assets, a focused Advance Health Care Directive paired with a HIPAA authorization can often meet immediate needs without a full estate plan. This limited approach clarifies who will make medical decisions and ensures access to medical records, which is particularly valuable for sudden health events or short-term incapacity. It is still important to communicate the directive’s contents to family and appointed agents so that emergency care follows your expressed wishes. Periodic review helps keep the document current with any changes in health or personal circumstances.
If family members are in agreement about likely medical choices and a trusted agent is ready to act, a focused Advance Health Care Directive may provide sufficient guidance. In such cases, the directive can outline preferred treatments and name an agent to implement those decisions, while other estate planning documents may be added later as needed. Even with consensus, documenting preferences and designations matters to avoid confusion during emergencies, and including a HIPAA authorization ensures the agent has the necessary medical information to make informed decisions on your behalf.
If you have a blended family, significant assets, or special circumstances such as special needs dependents or multiple properties, a comprehensive estate plan that includes an Advance Health Care Directive, living trust, wills, and financial powers of attorney provides better protection and coordination. Comprehensive planning helps ensure that medical decision-making, guardianship nominations, and asset management work together to reflect your intentions and protect those who depend on you. This integrated approach reduces the risk of conflicting documents or legal challenges that can arise when planning is handled piecemeal.
When there is a risk of long-term care needs or progressive health conditions, comprehensive planning becomes especially valuable. Combining an Advance Health Care Directive with long-term care planning, durable powers of attorney, trusts, and beneficiary designations helps manage medical treatment decisions, financial obligations, and the potential costs of care. A broader plan can address asset protection, Medicaid eligibility considerations, and the continuity of property management during incapacity. Thoughtful coordination reduces administrative burdens on family members and supports continuity of care and finances over time.
A comprehensive estate plan that includes an Advance Health Care Directive, financial powers of attorney, trusts, and wills provides clarity across both medical and financial realms. It ensures that the person designated to make medical decisions also has access to financial information when necessary, while trusts and wills address transfer of assets according to your wishes. This alignment prevents fragmentation of authority and reduces the potential for family disputes, creating a smoother transition during periods of incapacity or after death. Coordinated documents make it easier for appointed agents to carry out your intentions without delay.
Integrating healthcare directives into broader planning also enables targeted protection for vulnerable beneficiaries, such as through special needs trusts or retirement plan trusts, and helps document preferences that might otherwise be overlooked. By addressing both immediate healthcare decision-making and long-term financial arrangements, comprehensive planning supports continuity, respects personal values, and reduces uncertainty. Regular reviews keep the plan aligned with changes in health, family, or law, ensuring the documents remain effective and relevant when they are needed most.
When an Advance Health Care Directive is combined with complementary documents like a HIPAA authorization and durable powers of attorney, decision-making authority is clearly established for both medical and financial matters. This clarity prevents delays in care and reduces the administrative friction that can arise when providers lack permission to share information. Naming alternates and providing detailed guidance within the directive equips your agents to make choices that reflect your values, while other documents ensure bills are paid and assets are managed in accordance with your overall plan.
A coordinated estate plan decreases the risk of disputes among family members by clearly documenting your preferences and naming the individuals authorized to act. When healthcare wishes and financial arrangements are both recorded, families spend less time guessing about intent and more time focusing on care and support. Having a written directive and related documents also guides conversations before crises occur, allowing your chosen agents and loved ones to understand your priorities and prepare to carry them out with confidence during emotionally challenging times.
Selecting the right agent involves more than choosing a close family member; it requires picking someone who understands and will honor your medical preferences, can communicate effectively with healthcare providers, and remains calm under pressure. Discuss your values and specific treatment preferences with that person in detail, and consider naming alternates in case the primary agent is unavailable. Providing written guidance and sharing copies of the directive with your agent, physician, and close family members reduces ambiguity and improves the chances that your wishes will be followed during an emergency or period of incapacity.
Make sure your agent, family members, and primary care physician have copies of your directive and any HIPAA authorizations. Store a signed original document in a safe but accessible location and consider providing digital copies when appropriate. Regular conversations with your appointed agent and loved ones reduce confusion during stressful moments and help your chosen decision maker advocate on your behalf. Revisiting your directives after major health changes, moves, or family updates keeps them current and ensures that everyone understands the procedures to follow when the time comes.
Anyone over the age of majority should consider an Advance Health Care Directive, but it is particularly important for those with chronic medical conditions, progressive illnesses, or families with complex dynamics. The directive protects your autonomy by recording treatment preferences and naming someone to speak for you if you lose decision-making capacity. It also reduces emotional burden on loved ones who might otherwise be uncertain about your wishes during a medical crisis. Preparing this document in advance allows thoughtful consideration rather than rushed choices under stress.
Advance directives are also valuable when you anticipate travel, high-risk activities, or significant surgeries that carry potential complications. If you have specific beliefs about life-sustaining treatments, palliative care, or organ donation, documenting those preferences ensures they are known and can be honored. Even if you later revise or revoke the directive, having a current written statement improves communication among family members and healthcare providers and reduces the likelihood of disputes or delays in care when decisions are time-sensitive.
Common scenarios that make an Advance Health Care Directive essential include sudden accidents that impair decision-making, diagnoses of progressive illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease, and planned major surgeries where complications could lead to temporary incapacity. It also applies when family members live apart or disagree about medical choices, as the directive helps settle who has authority and what decisions should be made. Creating the document before a crisis allows calm deliberation and ensures medical teams have guidance that reflects your values and priorities.
When facing conditions that may impair memory or decision-making over time, an Advance Health Care Directive provides clear guidance about long-term treatment preferences and designates someone to act on your behalf. Early planning allows you to record values and detailed instructions while capacity is intact, which helps agents make choices aligned with your past wishes as the condition progresses. Additionally, pairing the directive with guardianship nominations and durable powers of attorney supports coordinated care and financial management throughout the trajectory of the illness.
Before undergoing surgery with significant risk, it is prudent to have an Advance Health Care Directive in place to address the possibility of unexpected complications that could leave you temporarily unable to make decisions. The directive helps your surgeons and care team understand whether to pursue life-sustaining measures and who is authorized to decide on your behalf. Preparing in advance removes uncertainty for loved ones and streamlines communication between medical staff and your chosen agent during postoperative recovery or unforeseen emergencies.
If family members live far apart or have differing views about medical decisions, an Advance Health Care Directive reduces conflict by identifying a single decision maker and outlining your treatment preferences. This document provides clear legal authority to the named agent and helps healthcare providers follow a consistent care plan. Communicating the directive’s contents to relatives and including alternates helps prevent stalemates and ensures that timely decisions are made in alignment with your values rather than by default or court intervention.
The Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman provides guidance to residents of Morongo Valley and San Bernardino County on preparing Advance Health Care Directives and related estate planning documents. We help you document medical preferences, designate agents, and add HIPAA authorizations so your agent can access necessary medical information. Our approach emphasizes clear communication, practical drafting, and ensuring documents meet California legal requirements. We also coordinate directives with other planning tools such as wills, trusts, financial powers of attorney, and guardianship nominations to create a cohesive plan tailored to your family’s needs.
Clients work with the Law Offices of Robert P. Bergman because we focus on practical solutions that reflect each person’s values and family circumstances. We explain the legal options, help you choose an agent and alternates, and draft clear, enforceable directives and HIPAA authorizations. Our approach emphasizes communication with clients and their chosen agents so the documents are understood and ready when needed. We also assist with integrating these directives into comprehensive estate plans that include trusts, wills, and powers of attorney for broader protection.
We take care to ensure documents comply with California requirements for signatures, witnesses, and notarization, and we advise on best practices for sharing copies with health providers and loved ones. For families with unique circumstances—such as special needs beneficiaries, retirement accounts, or multiple properties—we offer strategies to align medical decision-making with financial planning. Our goal is to provide clear, dependable guidance so your wishes are documented and accessible when they matter most to you and your family.
Preparing an Advance Health Care Directive also involves conversations about practical implementation, such as how to store documents, who should receive copies, and when to review and update instructions. We help clients set a review schedule and explain how life events may prompt revisions. If disputes arise or questions about a directive’s scope occur, we offer guidance on resolving issues efficiently to maintain continuity of care and protect your intentions. Our focus is on creating plans that function well under real-world conditions.
Our process begins with a conversation to understand your values, medical priorities, family dynamics, and any existing estate planning documents. We explain your options for appointing an agent, drafting treatment preferences, and including a HIPAA authorization. After drafting the directive, we review it with you to ensure clarity and legal compliance, assist with proper execution such as witness signatures or notarization, and provide guidance on distributing copies to your agent, physician, and family. We also advise on integrating the directive into a full estate plan if desired.
During the initial consultation we discuss your health values, treatment preferences, and who you trust to act as your agent. We review any existing estate planning documents such as wills, living trusts, or powers of attorney to ensure consistency across your plan. This meeting also covers California-specific formalities for executing an Advance Health Care Directive and any related HIPAA authorization. Our aim is to capture your priorities in plain language so the directive serves as a clear guide for both your agent and medical providers in the event of incapacity.
We ask targeted questions about what matters most to you in medical care, such as comfort, independence, and acceptable quality of life, so those values can inform the specific treatment instructions in your directive. This conversation helps translate personal beliefs into actionable language that an agent and medical team can follow. Providing examples of possible medical scenarios clarifies how certain preferences should be applied, reducing ambiguity and improving the likelihood that care aligns with your priorities when you cannot speak for yourself.
Choosing an agent is a vital part of the process. We help you evaluate potential agents based on their ability to communicate with medical staff, apply your preferences under stress, and manage family dynamics. Naming alternate agents ensures coverage if the primary designee is unavailable. We draft clear appointment language and contact details so healthcare providers can readily identify and contact your agent. Discussing these choices with the proposed agents in advance ensures they are willing and prepared to accept the responsibilities if needed.
Once your preferences and agent choices are clear, we draft the Advance Health Care Directive and any accompanying HIPAA authorization. The draft balances specificity with flexibility to accommodate unforeseen medical developments. We review the language with you to confirm it accurately reflects your wishes and advise on optional provisions such as organ donation preferences or limitations on particular treatments. This review stage ensures the document meets California legal standards and is practical for use by medical professionals and your appointed agent.
Execution typically requires your signature and either witness signatures or notarization under California law. We explain the formalities and can attend signing to ensure all requirements are satisfied. Best practices include distributing copies to your agent, primary care physician, and hospital medical records, and storing the original where it can be accessed quickly in an emergency. We also recommend keeping a digital copy accessible and informing close family members about the document’s location and contents to avoid delays during urgent situations.
We check that your Advance Health Care Directive aligns with other estate planning documents like financial powers of attorney, living trusts, and guardian nominations. Consistency across documents prevents conflicting instructions and clarifies roles during incapacity or after death. If gaps exist, we recommend additional documents such as a HIPAA authorization or specific trust provisions to protect beneficiaries and address long-term care considerations. Coordinated planning reduces legal friction and ensures that both medical and financial matters proceed according to your overall intentions.
Life changes such as new diagnoses, moves, marriages, births, or the death of an appointed agent often necessitate updates to an Advance Health Care Directive. We advise clients to review their directive periodically and after major events to confirm it still reflects current wishes. Updating the document, redistributing copies, and communicating changes to your agent and healthcare providers ensures the directive remains effective. Our team assists with amendments or complete revisions so your planning stays current and enforceable under California law.
You should review your Advance Health Care Directive after significant life events such as diagnosis of a chronic illness, changes in family relationships, relocation, or a major surgery. These events can affect treatment preferences, the suitability of your chosen agent, or the need for additional instructions. Regular review—every few years or after key milestones—helps ensure the document continues to reflect your values. If changes are needed, we assist with proper amendment or re-execution to preserve the directive’s legal effectiveness and clarity for medical providers.
When revisions are made, reexecuting the directive with required signatures and notifying your agent and healthcare providers are important steps to prevent confusion. We provide updated copies and guidance on distributing them to medical records, family members, and any institutions that maintain your files. Properly revoking older versions and documenting the change helps avoid conflicting instructions. We also recommend storing the most current document in a secure but accessible location and advising agents on how to present it during emergencies.
An Advance Health Care Directive broadly combines two elements: appointment of a health care agent who makes decisions if you cannot, and written instructions about your treatment preferences. A living will is often used to describe specific end-of-life treatment preferences, such as whether to use life-sustaining measures in terminal conditions. In practice, many people use a directive that includes living will-type instructions as part of the same document so both decision-making authority and treatment preferences are captured together. This integrated approach simplifies communication and reduces confusion for agents and providers. Including both agent designation and treatment instructions offers practical advantages. The agent can interpret and apply your stated values to situations not explicitly covered by the directive, while the living will portion sets clear boundaries on specific interventions. For most Californians, combining these elements and adding a HIPAA authorization ensures that the agent can receive necessary medical information and act consistently with your wishes. Reviewing documents periodically keeps them aligned with current preferences and health circumstances.
Choose an agent who understands your values, communicates well with others, and is willing to make medical decisions under stress. Consider their proximity to your primary care providers and their ability to travel in emergencies. It is also wise to name alternate agents in case the primary designee cannot serve. Discussing the role with the person beforehand ensures they accept the responsibility and understand your general views on life-sustaining treatment, comfort care, and other preferences that will guide their decisions. During conversations with your proposed agent, cover practical details such as where documents are stored, your preferred medical facilities, and any specific treatments you would accept or decline. Clarify whether you wish the agent to consult family members and how to approach disagreements. Documenting these conversations in writing within your directive and providing a HIPAA authorization so your agent can obtain medical information will help them act confidently and in accordance with your wishes.
To ensure your agent can access medical records, include a HIPAA authorization alongside your Advance Health Care Directive. This authorization allows healthcare providers to share protected health information with the agent named in the directive, which is important for making informed decisions. Without a HIPAA release, privacy rules may limit the information available to family members and appointed decision makers, potentially delaying critical decisions when time is sensitive. Provide copies of the HIPAA authorization and directive to your primary care physician, hospitals you frequently use, and to the agent themselves. Inform medical staff at the time of hospitalization and keep copies accessible, whether in a personal file, a digital folder, or with your family. Regularly confirm that healthcare providers have the most recent versions, especially after revisions or changes in designated agents.
Yes, you can change or revoke your Advance Health Care Directive at any time so long as you have the mental capacity to do so. To make changes, prepare an amendment or a new directive and follow California execution requirements, such as signing and witnessing or notarization. Clearly communicating the revocation or change to your agent, healthcare providers, and family members helps ensure the most current document is followed and older versions are not mistakenly relied upon during an emergency. When you execute a new directive, consider distributing updated copies and, if possible, retrieving or informing holders of previous versions to avoid confusion. If changes are substantial, re-notifying your physician and any relevant medical facilities reduces the chance that an outdated directive remains on file. Keeping a clear record of the most current document supports proper implementation when it matters most.
California law requires either two adult witnesses or notarization for many Advance Health Care Directives to be valid. Witnesses cannot be your designated agent, a healthcare provider involved in your care, or a relative who might benefit financially from your estate, so choosing neutral adults as witnesses is important. Notarization is an alternate method that can simplify the process and is often recommended when available, as it provides additional assurance of proper execution under state rules. We advise clients to follow execution formalities carefully to prevent challenges later. During signing, ensure witnesses understand their role and that you have the capacity to sign. We can assist with arranging appropriate witnessing or notarization and provide guidance on storing and distributing the executed document so that medical providers and your agent can access it when needed.
If you do not have an Advance Health Care Directive, medical decisions may default to family members under California law or be made by providers in emergent settings, which can lead to uncertainty or disagreements among relatives. Without a named agent and written instructions, loved ones may face complex decisions without clear guidance on your preferences. In some cases, disputes can escalate to petitions for conservatorship, which are time-consuming, potentially adversarial, and may not reflect your wishes. Having a directive reduces these risks by establishing legal authority for a trusted individual and documenting treatment preferences. Even simple directives paired with a HIPAA authorization improve communication between healthcare providers and your decision maker. Creating the document ahead of time brings clarity, reduces family stress during crises, and ensures that your health care choices are more likely to be honored.
Including instructions about organ donation and palliative care in your Advance Health Care Directive helps ensure your wishes are known and considered. You can state whether you wish to donate organs, tissues, or other biological materials, and provide preferences about comfort-focused treatments such as pain management and hospice care. Clear statements about palliative goals and limitations on aggressive interventions help your agent and medical team prioritize comfort and dignity according to your values when curative options are limited. When specifying these preferences, consider scenarios where certain interventions may be acceptable under some circumstances but not others. Discussing organ donation and palliative care choices with family and your potential agent reduces uncertainty and allows those who act for you to do so with confidence. Including these instructions in writing and sharing them with healthcare providers increases the likelihood that your end-of-life care aligns with your wishes.
Review your Advance Health Care Directive at regular intervals and after major life events such as a significant health diagnosis, marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or the death of a previously named agent. Checking the document every few years helps ensure that the named agent remains appropriate, that contact information is current, and that treatment preferences reflect your present values. Advances in medical technology or changes in personal beliefs may also prompt updates to preserve alignment between your wishes and the directive’s provisions. When you make revisions, execute them properly and provide updated copies to your agent, primary care physician, and any institutions that maintain your medical records. Clear documentation of the most recent version helps medical providers and family members avoid relying on outdated instructions, ensuring that the directive guides care accurately during times when you cannot speak for yourself.
Hospitals and doctors typically follow a valid Advance Health Care Directive when it is presented and meets California execution requirements. The directive provides legal authority to your named agent and guides medical teams on permissible treatments. In emergency situations, medical staff will act to stabilize you immediately, but once your incapacity is established, a clear directive and HIPAA authorization enable the healthcare team to consult your agent and implement your stated preferences in ongoing care and treatment decisions. To facilitate adherence, provide copies of the directive to your primary care physician and the hospitals you use most often, and ensure the document is properly executed with witnesses or notarization. If a provider questions the directive’s validity, having notarization and clinicians aware of its terms can help avoid delays. When disputes arise, legal avenues exist to resolve disagreements, but a clearly drafted and distributed directive generally reduces the need for such measures.
An Advance Health Care Directive appoints an agent to make medical decisions during incapacity, whereas guardianship or conservatorship are court-supervised arrangements that may be required if no valid directive exists or if there is a dispute about who should act. A properly executed directive typically prevents the need for a guardianship proceeding because the agent named in the document has legal authority to make medical choices. Planning ahead and documenting your designations helps avoid court involvement and preserves your intended decision-making structure. If no directive exists or the validity of a directive is contested, interested parties may petition the court to appoint a guardian or conservator to manage healthcare or financial matters. Such proceedings can be costly and contentious, and outcomes may not reflect your preferences. By preparing and maintaining an Advance Health Care Directive and related documents, you reduce the likelihood of court intervention and help ensure that decisions are made by someone you trust to follow your wishes.
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