Advance Health Care Directives and Living Wills for California City Residents

Start with the purpose of the document

A useful first step is to separate two questions: What health-care wishes do you want expressed, and who do you want identified to make health-care decisions? An advance health care directive can address both, but written instructions and naming a decision-maker serve different purposes.

Before relying on a document, consider whether it clearly reflects the wishes you intend to communicate and whether the person expected to make decisions is identified. These are planning questions, not a substitute for medical advice. If you are unsure what a treatment or medical term means, ask an appropriate health-care professional.

Clarify what you want written down

Consider the kinds of health-care wishes you want the directive to communicate. Focus on what you want others to understand, rather than assuming that simply having a document answers every question that may arise. You may want to note questions for a health-care professional where a preference depends on medical circumstances.

A practical preparation step is to write down, in your own words, the preferences or questions you want to discuss before you work on the document. That can help you distinguish a personal preference from a question that needs clinical explanation. The directive’s role is to express health-care wishes; it is not the same as a financial power of attorney, which serves a financial role.

• What wishes do you want the document to communicate?
• Are there medical terms or circumstances you want explained before you decide how to describe a preference?
• What questions should you discuss with the person you may identify to make health-care decisions?

Keep written instructions distinct from choosing a decision-maker

Written instructions communicate your wishes; identifying someone to make health-care decisions addresses who may act in that role. When considering a directive, ask whether you want both functions addressed and whether the document makes their roles understandable to the people who may rely on it.

Choosing a person is a separate planning decision from describing treatment preferences. If you are considering whom to identify, you can discuss what you want that person to understand about your wishes. This page focuses on documenting preferences and making the document accessible, rather than evaluating which person is the right choice for you.

Make the document findable when it may be needed

Preparing a directive and keeping the relevant documents accessible are distinct from registering information about an executed directive. Consider how the people who may need to refer to your wishes could find the document, and whether they know where relevant information is kept.

As a practical step, make a simple list of the people who may need to know where the document is, then consider how you will share that information. Registration is a separate matter from preparing and keeping documents accessible; it should not be treated as a replacement for thinking through access to the relevant documents.

Plan with Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C.

Codi M. Dada Law Office P.C. has one in-person office at 802 Grant Ave, Novato, CA 94945, and provides virtual services throughout California, including California City. A planning conversation can help you organize the wishes you want to communicate, identify questions to resolve, and consider how the directive will be made accessible to the people who may need it.