The short answer
Advance directives are legal papers that tell your loved ones and doctors what medical care you want, or who should decide for you, if you cannot speak for yourself. The two main types are a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care. All adults should have them, and you can change them anytime.
Advance directives are legal papers that state your medical wishes if you cannot speak for yourself.
The two main types are a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care.
All adults should have them, ideally while healthy, not just when seriously ill.
They give you control and can bring peace of mind to your loved ones.
Choose how you want to understand this
The full explanation.
What advance directives are
Advance directives are legal papers. They tell your loved ones and doctors what kind of medical care you want if you cannot tell them yourself. In them, you state ahead of time what treatments you would like. You also name who will make sure your wishes are carried out.
Planning your future health care is an important step toward making sure you get the care you would want. All adults should have advance directives. It is best to fill them out while you are healthy. That way they are ready if you become ill, or unable to make these decisions later.
The two main types
There are two main types of advance directives.
A living will says whether or not you would like certain types of medical care, if you become unable to speak for yourself. The most common types of care it covers are:
- the use of machines to keep you alive, such as dialysis machines and ventilators (also called respirators)
- "do not resuscitate" (DNR) orders, which tell the health care team not to use CPR if your breathing or heartbeat stops
- tube feeding
- withholding food and fluids
- organ and tissue donation
A durable power of attorney for health care lets you name another person to make decisions about your medical care if you cannot make them yourself. It is also called a health care proxy or medical power of attorney. People often pick someone they know well and trust. That person may be called a health care agent, surrogate, or proxy.
Why they matter
Filling out advance directives gives you control over your health care. Choices about end-of-life care can be hard to make even when you are healthy. If you are already seriously ill, they can feel overwhelming.
Some people want to try every drug or treatment. Others choose to stop treatment. You may turn to family and friends for advice. In the end, though, it is your decision.
It is important to remember that even if you choose to stop treatment aimed at your disease, care to promote your well-being continues. This palliative care includes treatment to manage pain and other symptoms. It also includes support for emotional and spiritual needs.
When to fill them out
Ideally, fill these documents out while you are healthy. Many people link advance directives with decisions near the end of life. But you do not need to wait for a serious diagnosis to think about your wishes. Making these choices while healthy can lighten the load on you and your loved ones later.
Talk to your doctor, nurse, or social worker for help filling them out. Most health care facilities have someone who can assist.
As you prepare, talk about your decisions with family members. Explain the reasons behind your choices. Talking helps in several ways:
- your wishes are known and can be followed
- it often comforts family members to know what you want
- it saves family from having to bring up the subject themselves
- you may gain peace of mind
- it can help everyone worry less and live each day more fully
Is talking with family too hard? Consider a family meeting with a social worker or a member of your faith community to guide it.
After you complete them
Once your advance directives are done, review them with your doctor for accuracy before signing. Most states require a witness at the signing. Then:
- give copies to your doctor, hospital, and family members
- store copies in a safe place that is easy to reach
- consider keeping a card in your wallet saying that you have these documents and where they can be found
Some organizations will store advance directives and make them available on your behalf.
Changing them and state laws
You can change your mind at any time, even after advance directives have been signed. In fact, the process should be ongoing rather than a one-time event. Review your documents from time to time. Update them if your situation or wishes change. When new directives are signed, destroy the old ones.
Each state has its own laws about advance directives. A living will or durable power of attorney accepted in one state may not be accepted in another. So follow the laws of the state where you live, or where you are being treated. You can download state-specific forms from organizations such as the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
What are advance directives?
Advance directives are legal papers that tell your loved ones and doctors what kind of medical care you want if you can't tell them yourself. They let you state ahead of time what treatments you would like and who you choose to make sure your wishes are carried out.
What are the main types of advance directives?
There are two main types. A living will states whether you would like certain types of medical care if you cannot speak for yourself. A durable power of attorney for health care names another person to make medical decisions for you if you cannot; this person may be called a health care agent, surrogate, or proxy.
When should I fill out advance directives?
Ideally, these documents should be completed when you are healthy, in case you become ill or unable to make decisions later. You do not need to wait until a serious diagnosis. Making these choices while healthy can reduce the burden on you and your loved ones later.
Can I change my advance directives?
Yes. Even after they are signed, you can change your mind at any time. The process should be ongoing. When new advance directives are signed, the old ones should be destroyed.
Do advance directives affect other care?
If you choose not to receive or to stop treatment aimed at your disease, care to promote your well-being, such as palliative care, continues. This includes treatment to manage pain and other symptoms and support for emotional and spiritual needs.
Are there state laws about advance directives?
Yes. Each state has its own laws. A document accepted in one state may not be accepted in another, so follow the laws of the state where you live or are treated. State-specific forms are available from organizations like the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
Questions to ask your doctor
Being prepared helps you get the most out of your appointments. Save or print these questions.
Tap a question to save it to your list (kept on this device).
Speak With Trained Specialists & Human Navigators
Cancer Explained provides educational guidance, but does not replace trained specialists, social workers, or your medical team.
Talk to a trained cancer information specialist
Free, confidential assistance from NCI Cancer Information Service via phone, chat, or email.
Contact your oncology team
Locate after-hours contact numbers, portal messages, or urgent triage phone lines.
Find a patient navigator
Get one-on-one help with appointments, logistics, translation, and care coordination.
Find a genetic counselor
Discuss inherited mutation risk, family history, and genetic testing options.
Find an oncology social worker
Access emotional counseling, family support groups, and mental health resources.
Find a financial navigator
Locate copay assistance foundations, grant programs, and lodging/travel support.
Find a clinical-trial specialist
Search matching studies and speak with NCI trial information specialists.
Get urgent help
Immediate emergency guidance for fever (>100.4°F during chemo), severe pain, or shortness of breath.
Help Us Improve This Guide
Did this explanation answer your question and help you determine your next step?
Know someone who needs this?
Plenty of people are looking for something like this and do not know where to start. If this would help a friend or someone you love, send it on — we have written an opening line so you do not have to stare at an empty message. You can change every word of it.
Your message is written and sent in your own email or messaging app — we never see who you send it to, and nothing is added to any list.
Knowledge Check
0 of 4 answered
This self-assessment checks understanding of educational content only. It is not medical advice.
Where to get help with this, by name
A hospital social worker or financial navigator is the best first call if you have one. If you do not, these organisations help at no cost to you.
- Patient Advocate Foundation — (800) 532-5274. Case managers take on insurance appeals, denials and medical debt with you. Free.
- TotalAssist (Patient Advocate Foundation's copay programme, merged with the PAN Foundation in 2026) — 866-512-3861. Help with medication copays, coinsurance and deductibles, insurance premiums, and office-visit and administration charges on the day of treatment, across nearly 150 conditions.
- CancerCare — 800-813-HOPE (4673). Oncology social workers, free counselling and support groups. Limited financial help with transport, home care, child care and lodging for people in active treatment who meet their income guidelines — funding is first-come, first-served, so call to ask what is open.
- Triage Cancer — 424-258-4628. Free legal and financial navigation: insurance, employment rights, disability.
- Blood Cancer United (formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) — (800) 955-4572. Information Specialists answer questions on treatment, insurance and financial problems.
- HealthCare.gov — 1-800-318-2596. For questions about the external review process — the independent review your insurer is required by law to accept.
Your state Department of Insurance regulates insurers and takes consumer complaints. On Medicare, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free one-to-one counselling. If a specific drug is the problem, ask the manufacturer about its patient assistance programme.
Phone numbers checked 31 July 2026. Programmes and eligibility change — if a number has moved, please tell us.
Plain-language explanation of the published sources cited on this page. AI-assisted, source-checked, not clinician-reviewed.
Sources last checked: 2026-07-14 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-05Next planned review: 2027-07-14
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status — Source checked. This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
General education. Low-risk educational or organizational content. Medical facts are cited to authoritative sources.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
Read more about our editorial process, our use of AI, and our corrections policy.
Spotted a problem? Report an error — a factual mistake, broken or outdated source, confusing wording, or anything that seems unsafe. Please do not include names, medical record numbers, dates of birth, addresses, or other identifying medical information in your report.
After using this page, do you understand what to do next?
Anonymous — we only record the answer, never who gave it.
Related articles
Still have questions?
Educational answers, plain language
Free to print and share