An advance health care directive is:

• an instruction you give about the health care you would like to receive or,
• a health care power of attorney where you name an individual to make health care decisions for you, or
• both

We use the term "instructions" in this manual to refer to the instructions part of an advance directive. We use "power of attorney" to refer to the power of attorney part. We use "advance directive" to refer to both.

You make an advance directive while you have capacity. The instructions or the power of attorney can be made to take effect immediately. You can also write them to take effect when and if you become incapacitated, or when any other event that you describe occurs.