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The most common types of advance directives are the living will and the durable power of attorney for health care (sometimes known as the medical power of attorney). There are many advance directive formats.

This document gives the person you name as your attorney-in-fact the power to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make the decisions for yourself. After you have signed this document, you have the right to make health care decisions for yourself if you are mentally competent to do so.

Most states have provisions accepting an advance care directive that was created in another state. But some states only accept advance care directives from states that have similar requirements and other states do not say anything about out-of-state directives.

A power of attorney may be more flexible, since it's impossible to predict all the medical decisions that might come up in the future and spell out your exact preferences for all of these situations. Many states actually combine the living will and power of attorney into one "advance directive" form.

This form is a power of attorney for health care. It lets you name another individual as agent to make health-care decisions for you if you become incapable of making you own decisions or if you want someone else to make those decisions for you now even though you are still capable.

An Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) is also known as a ?Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care,? ?Advance Directive,? or ?Living Will.? It is a legal document which allows you to record your decisions about future health care treatment in the event you are no longer able to make your own decisions.