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Advance Directives are written instructions for the future provision of health care to a person if that person cannot make decisions. The two directives discussed here are described in State law. A lawyer is not required to complete the forms and they don't become effective unless the person can no longer make decisions. They can be revoked or revised any time the individual chooses, and they won't work unless given to the caregiver(s).
A Living Will is a witnessed and notarized statement describing the medical care an individual wants, or doesn't want, if he/she cannot make decisions. It describes preferences for receiving or not receiving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), "do not resuscitate" (DNR) orders, and other life-supporting or heroic measures, especially if there's no reasonable medical probability that the person will regain the ability to make decisions.
A Medical (or "Durable") Power of Attorney is a witnessed, notarized statement naming a spouse, child, parent or other trusted person to act for the individual if he/she can no longer make decisions.
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