This material is for general information, and is not legal advice. If you have specific questions about your personal situation, please consult your legal adviser.
Yes. While both are important, they're different.
A will tells people how you want to distribute your assets after you die. Your financial power of attorney helps with this.
In a living will, a type of advance directive, you make decisions for future medical care in case you ever became too sick to make decisions for yourself. A health care agent has durable medical power of attorney and is the person you choose to carry out your decisions.
No. In the state of Pennsylvania, you do not need to notarize advance directives.
Most importantly, talk with your loved ones about what your advance directive says.
Also, make copies of your advance directive to give to your:
Be sure to take it with you when you go to the hospital.
As you go through life, your end of life care decisions may change. This is normal, so be sure to review your advance directive every now and then.
If your wishes change:
No, you do not need to use the Pennsylvania Advance Health Care Directive form.
If your wishes have not changed, any advance directive approved for Pennsylvania is acceptable.
No.
It's important to understand the advance directive acts only as guidelines, not as automatic medical orders.
If you were so sick and could no longer make decisions, your medical team would turn to your health care agent and the information you wrote in your advance directive for guidance. They would work together to decide the best course of action based on your decisions and what was happening to you.
No. The POLST (Pennsylvania Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) is intended for people of advanced age or disease.
The POLST is a set of medical orders that provide very clear instructions on:
In a crisis, your medical team would act upon these orders.
The Pennsylvania Advance Health Care Directive and other living wills act as guidelines only. No automatic actions are taken without the medical team and your health care agent working together to make decisions that you would want.
It's important for all adults — young or old, healthy or sick — to go through the advance care planning process and have an advance directive. Download the Pennsylvania Advance Health Care Directive Form (PDF).
For more information, or to talk with someone about advance care planning, contact the UPMC Palliative and Supportive Institute at:
For more information about advance directives, download Pennsylvania Advance Health Care Directive (PDF).
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