States generally allow a person (principal) to appoint another person (agent) to make health care decisions, receive protected health information, or both on the principal’s behalf. In many states, ...

This publication examines the background and implementation of advance directives. Like living wills in healthcare, they allow service users to plan for the future. They enable people to decide what ...

An advance directive for the state where you live may not be effective in another state. Some states have provisions that respect out-of-state directives as long as they conform to the requirements of ...

Two main types of advance directives are living wills and healthcare power of attorney. These are legal documents that outline a person’s preferences regarding major medical decisions. An advance ...

Dear Doctor: I recently read about advance directives that deal only with dementia. Is there some benefit to those over the more traditional directives? If so, how do I go about creating one? Dear ...

With over 35 years as a dedicated physician, I've witnessed the gift given to loved ones left behind when an advance directive is completed and available for healthcare professionals to follow in the ...