Advance Directives and Living Wills

 An Advance Directive is a general term for legal documents (such as a Living Will or a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care) that state a person's wishes for life-sustaining medical treatments and who makes those decisions when he or she is not able to make his or her own decisions.

If you do not have advance directives, you may want to consider forming advance directives, either now or in the near future. It is reasonable and appropriate for adults of every age to consider advance directives. Some people like to talk to their physician about this, and it is recommended to involve family members.

It is not necessary to consult an attorney in order for advance directives to be legally binding, but you may want to do so.

Iowa law provides two types of advance directives: The Declaration Relating to Use of Life-Sustaining Procedures, known as a Living Will, and the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.

Other Advance Directive Resources include:
• The Gift of Peace of Mind www.aging.iowa.gov/Documents/Publications/GiftofPeaceofMind.pdf

• Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare http://iabar.net/associations/4664/files/ISBAForms/ISBA_Form121_032010.pdf
• Living Will Form http://iabar.net/associations/4664/files/ISBAForms/ISBA_Form122_032010.pdf
• Power of Attorney/Living Will Combined http://iabar.net/associations/4664/files/ISBAForms/ISBA_Form123_032010.pdf

If you have further questions regarding Advance Directives, please contact Kelli McCarty at 641-664-3569.