Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) Form
An Advance Health Care Directive (AHCD) is a legal document that allows you to plan for your future medical care. It is a written statement that specifies your wishes regarding medical treatment, and designates a person to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so.
The AHCD form typically includes the following:
- Appointment of Agent: This is the person you appoint to make healthcare decisions for you if you are unable to make them yourself. You can also appoint an alternate agent in case the primary agent is unavailable or unwilling to make decisions for you.
- Health Care Instructions: This section allows you to provide specific instructions about the types of medical treatment you do or do not want to receive. This includes instructions about life-sustaining treatments, such as ventilators, feeding tubes, and CPR.
- Organ Donation: You can also indicate whether you wish to donate your organs or tissues after your death.
- End-of-Life Instructions: This section provides instructions about your wishes for end-of-life care, including whether you want to receive palliative care or hospice care.
The purpose of an AHCD is to ensure that your healthcare wishes are respected and followed, even if you are unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself. It is important to discuss your wishes with your loved ones and healthcare providers, and to provide them with a copy of your AHCD.
Here are links to several examples of the AHCD form. Each state and country may have slightly different versions but the principle is the same
https://www.caringinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/California.pdf
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/media/ProbateCodeAdvanceHealthCareDirectiveForm-fillable.pdf