Advance Healthcare Directive: Ensure Your Medical Wishes Are Followed
Make Your Healthcare Decisions in Advance, So Others Don’t Have To
A medical emergency can happen at any time—but with an Advance Healthcare Directive (AHD), you ensure that your wishes—not the hospital’s or anyone else’s—dictate your medical care.
An Advance Healthcare Directive is a legally binding document that outlines your medical treatment preferences, including:
Life-sustaining treatments (CPR, ventilators, feeding tubes, etc.)
Pain management and palliative care
End-of-life care decisions
By planning ahead and specifying your preferences, you remove uncertainty for your loved ones and ensure you receive care aligned with your values.
Let's Get StartedWhat Is an Advance Healthcare Directive?
An Advance Healthcare Directive (AHD)—also called a Living Will—is a legal document that states your medical treatment preferences if you become unable to communicate them.
An Advance Healthcare Directive is only relevant in certain (narrow) cases - typically, if you have a terminal illness and are dying or if you’re permanently unconscious, and where there are no viable treatment options. This document is the best place to specify what care you want in these circumstances, so that your chosen representative in your Power of Attorney can ensure they are followed. An AHD typically includes:
Medical treatment preferences (e.g., whether you want life support or not).
Pain management and comfort care instructions.
Ensure Your Medical Wishes Are Honored
Let's Get Started
Why You Need an Advance Healthcare Directive
Avoid Uncertainty in Medical Emergencies
If you’re unable to speak, your doctors and family will know exactly what you want.
If you’re unable to speak, your doctors and family will know exactly what you want.
Reduce Stress on Loved Ones
Without an AHD, your family may struggle with tough medical decisions, unsure if they’re making the right choices.
Without an AHD, your family may struggle with tough medical decisions, unsure if they’re making the right choices.
Prevent Unwanted Medical Interventions
A legally binding directive ensures you won’t receive treatments you don’t want.
A legally binding directive ensures you won’t receive treatments you don’t want.
Make Your Wishes Legally Clear
Without a formal AHD, hospitals may default to aggressive life-saving measures, even if it’s not what you would have chosen.
Without a formal AHD, hospitals may default to aggressive life-saving measures, even if it’s not what you would have chosen.
Having an AHD gives you control over your care and removes doubt for your loved ones.
Let's Get StartedWhat Can an Advance Healthcare Directive Cover?
Your AHD can include specific instructions on:
Life-Sustaining Treatments
Specify if you want or decline treatments such as:
CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
Mechanical Ventilation (Life Support)
Feeding Tubes & Artificial Nutrition
Artificial Hydration
Antibiotics & Life-Prolonging Medications
Pain Management & Comfort Care
You can indicate whether you want pain relief at all costs or prefer minimal intervention.
Understanding Power of Attorney Terms
Many people confuse an Advance Healthcare Directive with a Healthcare Power of Attorney (POA). While they work together, they serve different purposes:
Advance Healthcare Directive
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Purpose
States your medical treatment preferences
Appoints someone to make healthcare decisions for you
Covers
Life-sustaining treatments, pain management, organ donation
All medical decisions, including ones not outlined in an AHD
When It Takes Effect
Typically in two scenarios - if you were terminally ill or permanently unconscious - where medical treatments could keep you alive but doing so would only artificially prolong the process of dying
When you are incapacitated and unable to make and communicate your decisions and preferences
Who Controls Decisions?
You (through the document)
Your appointed healthcare agent
It’s best to have BOTH—an AHD to state your wishes and a Healthcare POA to ensure someone you trust can make decisions if needed.
How to Make Your Advance Healthcare Directive Legally Valid
In Washington state, your Advance Healthcare Directive must be:
Completed freely and in good faith
Signed & dated
Witnessed by two adults
(who are not part of your family or involved in your medical care or estate)
With Duckpins, you can legally execute your Advance Healthcare Directive online - securely and conveniently
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