Planning for Peace of Mind: What You Need to Know About Advance Directives

< ver todas las entradas del blog

It’s an emotional time when a loved one is facing a medical crisis. Family members may need to step in and make quick decisions on your behalf — often without knowing exactly what you would want. This can lead to stress, uncertainty and even conflict.  

Conversations about end-of-life care are never easy. They are deeply personal and often shaped by culture, faith and values. But taking control of your future healthcare decisions can provide peace of mind — not just for you, but for your loved ones as well. After all, it’s your decision that matters.

What are Advance Directives?

Advance Directives are legal documents that outline your healthcare wishes in case you are unable to speak for yourself.

With a little planning, you can clearly communicate your preferences to help your family, caregivers and healthcare providers follow the decisions that matter most to you.

Make Your Wishes Known: The Importance of Advance Directives

“Although advance care planning is a critical part of patient care, only about 50% of older adults have engaged in advance care planning. Of those older adults, about one-third have documented their wishes and only 10%–20% discussed their wishes with clinicians,” according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The reasons vary, but may include lack of awareness or understanding, procrastination, or discomfort discussing the topic.

Having a plan in place can:

• Let your voice be heard when it matters most.
• Ensure your loved ones are not left guessing and feeling overwhelmed.
• Help reduce family conflict or disagreements.
• Allow your care team to better understand your choices and act quickly.

Types of Advance Directives

• A Health Care Proxy lets you choose someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf.
  
• A Living Will explains the type of medical care you would or would not want. This may include preferences about:
  • Life-sustaining treatmentsFeeding tubes or IV nutrition
  • Pain management and comfort care.

• A Medical Order of Life Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) is a medical form that translates your wishes into a doctor’s orders that must be followed by healthcare professionals, including emergency personnel. The document travels with you across care settings — home, hospital or nursing facility. It may include decisions about:
  • CPRUse of breathing machines
  • Hospital transfers and other life-sustaining measures.

• A Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) is a written order signed by a healthcare provider for people who are seriously ill or are at an advanced age and do not want any life-saving measures if their breathing or heart stops. They will still receive care to keep them comfortable.

Your preferences may change over time, so it’s important to review and update your advance directives — especially after major life or health changes.

Don’t Wait for a Crisis

---

CenterLight Healthcare PACE is committed to providing accurate information to help individuals plan for the future and make informed decisions about their care and personal wishes. The information in this material is strictly educational. We recommend consulting with a social worker, legal advisor or medical provider.

---

Fuentes:

Advance Care Planning: Advance Directives for Health Care (October 31, 2022), NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) nia.nih.gov/health/advance-care-planning/advance-care-planning-advance-directives-health-care
Advance Care Planning (July 2025), New York State Department of Health (July, 2025), health.ny.gov/community/advance_care_planning/Advance Care PlanningAdvance Care Planning (n.d.), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), ncqa.org/report-cards/health-plans/state-of-health-care-quality-report/advance-care-planning-acp/

H3329 Blog_NoPOInfo_Advance Directive
Updated April 9, 2026