Today is National Healthcare Decisions Day, an opportunity to learn more about the importance of advance care planning to take control of your healthcare.

Do you have a written plan stating what healthcare treatments you would or would not want if you could not speak for yourself? With advance directives, you can document your wishes, ensuring that you receive the type of care you prefer if you cannot communicate.

Advance directives are used only if you are permanently unconscious, terminally ill or severely injured and unable to speak for yourself. Advance directives also give your loved ones peace of mind, knowing your wishes as they make decisions about your care.

Advance directives should include a healthcare power of attorney and a living will.

A healthcare power of attorney is a legal form that authorizes another person to make decisions about your medical care if you are unable to do so yourself. The designated adult (primary agent) is authorized to speak for you ONLY if you are unable to make your own medical decisions. It is especially important that this person understands your wishes and is willing to carry them out. Other terms used for healthcare power of attorney are healthcare proxy or agent, healthcare surrogate and durable power of attorney for healthcare.

A living will is a legal document containing your wishes about medical treatment. You choose what you do want and do not want regarding life-sustaining treatment when you are permanently unconscious or terminally ill. This includes CPR, withdrawing or withholding artificial hydration, DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order, taking no action to postpone death and providing only comfort care, as well as specifying wishes about anatomical gifts.

A healthcare power of attorney and a living will can be revoked or changed at any time.

Once your living will and medical power of attorney are complete, it is important to give copies to your healthcare providers, your hospital, the person named as your power of attorney, your lawyer and anyone else you feel needs to know your wishes.

It’s not about how you die; it’s about how you live.

Contributed by Aultman Hospice and Palliative Care.

For more information on preparing advance directives, Leading Age Ohio has a free resource, Conversations That Light the Way, that guides you through questions to ask yourself and your healthcare provider about your healthcare wishes, as well as how to approach loved ones about your end-of-life wishes. Another free resource is The Conversation Project, which has information to help make end-of-life conversations easier.