Advance directive is a general term that applies to two types of legal documents.
A living will is a type of advance directive in which you put in writing your wishes about the medical treatment you desire at the end of your life in the event you are unavble to communicate these wishes directly. Advance directives give you a voice in decisions about your medical care when you are unconscious or too ill to communicate. Depending on your state s laws, your family may not be allowed to make decisions about life support for you without written evidence of your wishes. You can best protect your treatment wishes by having a living will and appointing a health care agent. Each offers something the other does not.