Advance directives for health care are written statements of a competent person's medical care preferences in the event of future incapacity. Medications Medical devices or procedures such as mechanical respirators and intravenous feeding that keep individuals alive who would otherwise die within a foreseeable, but usually uncertain, time period. Living will statutes recognize the fundamental nature of the right of competent adults to refuse medical treatment. Restrictions Various restrictions contained in living will statutes have limited the usefulness of living wills as an advance directive.
State laws differ concerning the types of medical interventions that can be refused.
Many living will statutes preclude the withdrawal of artificial nutrition and hydration by excluding it from the definition of life-sustaining procedures. Living wills cannot anticipate every potential medical condition that may result from accident or illness, and thus may not apply to the particular situation at hand. Durable Power of Attorney A majority of states have enacted durable power of attorney for health care statutes as a solution to the limitations of living wills. Some states provide for durable powers of attorney for health care as part of their living will statutes. The durable power of attorney for health care has a number of advantages over living wills.