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A medical or health care power of attorney is a type of advance directive in which you name a person to make decisions for you when you are unable to do so. In some states this directive may also be called a durable power of attorney for health care or a health care proxy.

Advance directives can be general or specific instructions. Often, they address the patient's preferences regarding aggressive medical interventions, such as CPR, treatment in an intensive care unit, or mechanical ventilation.

Hear this out loud PauseA POLST is a legal binding document and an advance medical directive is not. A POLST is a form of medical orders, while an advance medical directive is used when a patient cannot speak for themselves. Health care providers must follow the POLST, whereas they do not need to follow advance medical directive.

The appointment of a surrogate is the appointment of some other person (other than your agent or guardian) who is authorized to make healthcare decisions for you. The surrogate can make decisions only when you are incompetent and not able to make decisions for yourself.

While an Advance Directive is a comprehensive document that covers a wide range of healthcare decisions, a POLST form is focused on end-of-life decisions that require immediate medical attention. For instance, it may specify whether you want to receive CPR, antibiotics, or be put on a ventilator.

In California, the part of an advance directive you can use to appoint an agent to make healthcare decisions is called a Power of Attorney For Health Care.