An advance directive (AD) is a legal document that outlines your health care preferences, treatment choices, and acceptance or refusal of medical interventions, to be followed if in your future you are unable to choose for yourself.
Tips & Links
Your advance directive outlines your choices for medical treatment, life-sustaining interventions, and end-of-life care. It may include health care measures you may want (for example pain management, hydration, and comfort measures), and measures you might not want (for example intubation, mechanical breathing, or life-prolonging medical interventions).
Who Uses it?
Your advance directive lists your choices to be followed by your physician, health care professionals, family, and chosen decision makers such as your temporary substitute decision-maker (TSDM), and, if you have a representation agreement, your substitute decision-maker (SDM).
Learn the Difference
- Understand the difference between the legal documents of an advance directive, a representation agreement, and an enduring power of attorney. For example, an advance directive is a list of instructions while the representation agreement or enduring POA designates the person who must follow the list of instructions and be your voice.
- An advance directive is a more formal, legal document outlining specific health care and medical instructions, while an advance care plan focuses on broader conversations about your values, goals and choices around end-of-life care.
- The Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) document may be suggested by your physician and is a legally binding medical order specifying immediate treatment preferences in serious health situations. Know that the advance directive is a broader, legal document outlining general health care wishes and can appoint a person to make decisions on your behalf.
More Information
- Get some of your questions answered about advance directives by Nidus.ca.
- Learn about an advance directive and advance care planning for youth and children from HealthlinkBC.
- Review the advance directive planning kit and fillable pdf from Dying with Dignity Canada.
- Consider early planning for people with dementia from the Alzheimer’s Society.
- Learn about free legal counselling services on advance directives from Senior’s First BC.
Share Decisions
- Your physician, nurse practitioner, and specialists should know if you have an advance care plan.
- Your caregivers and care partners should all know if you have a Do Not Resuscitate or No CPR order, a written advance directive or Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) document, are an organ donor, and/or if you have a written advance care plan.
- Make sure the people who care for you know the location of these documents.
Mywell Health helps you organize your decision documents in one place. Consider filing both digital and print copies under My End of Life Decisions.