How to Write an Advance Care Directive

An advance care directive is a written set of instructions about the medical care you do or do not want if you cannot speak for yourself. The most common kind has two parts. The first part is a living will, which spells out which treatments you would accept and which ones you would refuse in serious situations. The second part is a health care power of attorney, which names one person, sometimes called a health care agent or proxy, to make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot. Together, these two documents protect your wishes, ease the load on your family, and give doctors clear guidance during a crisis.

Fewer than half of American adults over 65 have written one of these documents, even though hospitals and emergency rooms ask for them every day. Without an advance directive, decisions about ventilators, feeding tubes, and resuscitation fall to whichever family member is in the room, often during the most stressful hours of their lives. Disagreements among siblings, second spouses, and adult children can turn a quiet hospital visit into a years-long court case. A signed directive prevents most of that.

Good news: every state has its own free form. And you do not need a lawyer to fill it out in most states. Forms are available on state government websites, AARP, and CaringInfo.org. Most forms take 30 to 60 minutes to complete. They need a signature, two witnesses in most states, and sometimes a notary stamp. Witnesses cannot be the person you name as your health care agent. And they often cannot be relatives by blood or marriage.

This guide walks through the parts of an advance directive, the choices each section asks you to make, and the conversations to have with your family before you sign. We also cover where to store the document so it is found when needed and how to update it as your health or wishes change. Plan one quiet afternoon to make your first draft and a second visit, perhaps with a family member, to finalize and sign.