Is an Advance Health Care Directive different from a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care?

The Advance Health Care Directive has replaced the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care as the document for appointing a health care agent in California. The Advance Health Care Directive allows you to not only to appoint an agent, you may state your health care wishes in the Advance Health Care Directive form.

An Advance Health Care Directive  is available on this site for download subject to this website's general disclaimer and the other warnings stated on the form. Make sure that the form has been properly signed, dated, and either notarized or witnessed by two qualified individuals (the form includes instructions about who can and cannot be a witness). Keep the original in a safe place where your loved ones can find it quickly. Give copies of the completed form to the people you have appointed as your agent and alternate agent(s), to your doctor(s) and health plan, and to family members or anyone else who is likely to be called if there is a medical emergency. You should tell these people to present a copy of the form at the request of your health care providers or emergency medical personnel.

Take a copy of the form with you if you are going to be admitted to a hospital, nursing home or other health care facility. Copies of the completed form can be relied upon by your agent and doctors as though they were the originals.

Next: What if I change my mind after completing an Advance Health Care Directive?