Definition: Advance directives are the legal documents, such as the living will, durable power of attorney and health care proxy, which allow people to convey their decisions about end-of-life care ahead of time. Advance directives provide a way for patients to communicate their wishes to family, friends, and health care professionals and to avoid confusion later on, should they become unable to do so.
Advance directives can be modified as a patient's situation changes. Even after advance directives have been signed, patients can change their minds at any time.
Communicating wishes about end-of-life care will ensure that people with life threatening disease face the end of their lives with dignity and with the same values by which they have lived.
Pronunciation: ad-vanst di-rekt'iv
Also Known As: living will, durable power of attorney and health care proxy.
Common Misspellings: avance directive
Examples: Mr. Smith who suffered from cancer terminal stipulated in his advanced directives that heroic measures not be used to sustain his life, therefore CPR was not performed when his heart stopped.
