A Health Care Directive, or an Advanced Directive, is a legal document that communicates your medical care preferences to your medical providers if you are unable to make healthcare decisions for yourself. A Health Care Directive also designates one or more healthcare agent(s) who would act on your behalf for medical decision making during the time you are unable to communicate your wishes. In Minnesota, a Health Care Directive goes into effect when the signature is notarized or witnessed by two people. Completed documents should be given to your health care agent, you primary care clinic, and anywhere else you routinely receive medical care. These documents do not expire, but should be reviewed periodically for continued accuracy. If updates are needed, a new Health Care Directive can be completed and the new document replaces the outdated one.

Types of Health Care Directives:

A comprehensive health care document that outlines preferences for medical treatment and services and identifies one or more health care agent(s) to be given the authority to make decisions if needed. This document may also include preferences for end of life care, organ or tissue donations, or burial/cremation/funeral arrangements.

These documents outline healthcare preferences but often do not include the designation of healthcare agent(s).

This document would designate a substitute decision maker, but would not outline healthcare preferences.

There are many different forms of Power of Attorney. A Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care is a specific type of Power of Attorney that only becomes effective when a physician has determined an individual no longer has capacity to make decisions.

These are provider orders that are put into place to communicate to medical care providers whether or not to perform CPR or intubation interventions.

A specific set of orders that is signed by a provider that outlines the care to be provided to the patient. It is completed after discussion with the patient, their family, or after review of their health care directive. It addresses DNR/DNI status, various levels of interventions, as well as preferences for artificial nutrition and IV medications.

North Shore Health encourages all individuals to plan ahead by having some sort of Health Care Directive with substitute decision making in place. Planning ahead allows you to receive the medical care you want, while also relieving family members or other caregivers of the weight of decision-making during moments of crisis or grief.

It is important to use document formats that are recognized by your state of residency as well as any other states that you visit frequently. Documents that do not meet a particular state’s requirements may not be recognized as a legal document.

North Shore Health can assist you with the creation of a directive or help you with updating your outdated directive. For more information, contact the facility social worker at 218-387-3261.

Please see links below for some resources for the State Minnesota and Cook County: