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Why do I need a health care directive? Simply put, putting your wishes about your health care in writing helps make sure they'll be known and followed by family, friends, health care providers and others. Sometimes decisions must be made when a person isn't able to decide or communicate preferences. A health care directive communicates your wishes when you’re not able to. The Minnesota Health Care Directive Planning Toolkit helps you create a health care directive. The toolkit contains step-by-step instructions (and suggested forms) for completing a health care directive. 

How do I complete a health care directive? It’s easy! 

• Identify a person, called an agent, to make health decisions for you if you become unable to make or communicate decisions.

• Write instructions about your health care goals, fears and concerns. You will include what you want as well as what you don't want. You can also state limits of the powers you want your agent to have.

• Sign and date it to make it legal. Then have the document witnessed by a notary public or two people. (Neither of them can be the agent.)

• Share copies of your directive with your agent and health care providers.

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Keywords: Health Care Directive, End-of-life care, Advance planning, Health care decisions, Agent (decision-maker), Health care preferences, Medical decisions, Legal documentation, Notary public, Health care providers, Directive instructions, Family communication, Medical care planning, Minnesota Health Care Directive, Spanish, Multilingual