An advance directive is a way to tell your loved ones and doctors your wishes if something happens and you can’t speak for yourself. A directive can include the type and extent of your medical care.

Completing an advance directive form is a great way to write down health care wishes before a medical crisis occurs. These legal documents help loved ones and doctors know what medical treatments a ...

An advance directive is a legally binding document regulated by state laws. Advance directives are subject to The Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA), 1990, a federal law that encourages individuals ...

April 16, 2016 is National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD). While there may be no parades or fanfare, we should all pay attention to this special day. National Healthcare Decisions Day reminds us how ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I am a Forbes.com Contributor specializing in geriatric health and women's health articles. End-of-life planning isn’t an easy ...

How do you make the best decisions for your health before something goes wrong? It can mean some tough conversations with loved ones. “If there's one thing that we all have in common, it's our ...

Advanced Directives and the MOST form Having a MOST form (short for “Medical Orders for Specific Treatment”) or POLST (“Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment”) form is generally recommended ...

Medical emergencies and unexpected health crises can occur at any age. Advance care planning encourages people to consider potential future scenarios and plan accordingly, even if they’re young and ...

When I checked into a surgical center recently for a procedure that required general anesthesia, I presented my advance healthcare directive. But as I read over the consent form for the surgery, I ...

Unlike a will, which can involve a lot of time and money with an attorney, advanced directives for health care contingencies are relatively simple and inexpensive to prepare.The Colorado Health & ...

Five minutes. That is all I had to make my case: to convince this 80-year-old man to fill out an advanced care directive. John, as I’ll call him, had served in the military for over thirty years, ...