Contents of an Advance Directive

What should the advance directive say?

It's hard to predict your medical situation when an advance directive document takes effect. You could be confined to a bed or a chair. You may not be able to recognize people or have a conversation. You may not be able to read or understand what is said to you. You may feel that if you reached that point, there's not much to live for. A bit of pneumonia could mean death with dignity, assuming that your family doesn't feel that they need to tell the doctor to "do everything you can to save my father."

• It's fine to decide that you won't want IV fluids, antibiotics, or artificial feeding at that point. It's nearly impossible to write an advance directive that will take into account the exact circumstances that you will be in at the end of your life. Don’t write a detailed directive that says what your family should do in each possible situation.
  
  
• Discuss your preferences with your family or those close to you whom you'd trust to make the same health care decisions you'd make if you were able to make your own decisions.