Advance directives are legal documents that give you the ability to make your wishes and decisions known to those around you concerning your medical care in situations when you are unable to communicate them to family or medical professionals. This avoids any confusion regarding what your decisions are concerning end-of-life care.

Specifically, a living will explains how you feel regarding such issues as the use of dialysis or breathing machines, what to do if your breathing or heartbeat stops – do you wish to be resuscitated? The living will also will let medical staff know if you wish to be fed using a feeding tube or to participate in organ or tissue donation.