Share Your Decisions

Completing your advance directive is an important step. Sharing it is what helps ensure your choices can be followed.

An advance directive is most effective when the people who may need it know it exists and can access it. Once you've completed your advance directive, make a plan to share it with the people who are most likely to be involved in your care.

Who Should Receive Your Advance Directive?

Consider sharing your advance directive with the people most likely to be involved in your care:

Your healthcare agent, so they understand your choices and are prepared to communicate and make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
Your alternate healthcare agent, if you've named one.
Your family and loved ones, so they know your decisions and can support your healthcare agent.
Your primary care provider and any specialists involved in your care, so your advance directive can become part of your medical record.

Don't Just Share the Document—Have the Conversation

Giving someone a copy of your advance directive is important, but it's only part of the process.

Take time to talk with your healthcare agent and loved ones about your decisions. Explain what matters most to you, answer their questions, and make sure they understand the decisions you've made. These conversations can provide clarity and confidence if they're ever asked to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.

Have the Conversation About Your Advance Directive

Securely Share Your Advance Directive Decisions

Securely Share Your Decisions

Your MyDirectives account makes it easy to securely review, update, and share your advance directive whenever you need to. If you update your advance directive in the future, you can also share the most current version with the people who need it.

The more prepared your healthcare agent and loved ones are today, the more confident they'll be if they're ever called upon to honor your decisions

Continue to: Keep Your Plan Current

Ready to make your healthcare decisions known?

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Create an advance directive or securely store and manage advance care planning documents you already have.

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