How do advance directives and durable power of attorney for health care differ?

How do advance directives and durable power of attorney for health care differ?

• A. Advance directive is a document with treatment preferences; durable POA assigns a surrogate decision-maker.
• B. A durable POA governs only financial decisions.
• C. Advance directive replaces medical records.
• D. A durable POA is the same as informed consent.

Answer: (A)

Advance directives express your wishes about medical treatment for when you can’t speak for yourself, outlining what interventions you do or don’t want—like resuscitation, ventilation, or life-sustaining measures. A durable power of attorney for health care designates a trusted person to make medical decisions for you when you lack capacity, ensuring there is someone to interpret your values and decisions even if you haven’t specified every scenario. These two tools work together: the advance directive provides explicit guidance on treatments, while the durable POA appoints a surrogate to carry out those decisions or fill gaps when you can’t communicate them yourself. The durable POA for health care is not about finances (that would be a different kind of power of attorney). An advance directive does not replace your medical records; it’s a separate document that guides decisions. And informed consent is about agreeing to a specific treatment after being informed, not about appointing someone to make decisions for you.

Advance directives express your wishes about medical treatment for when you can’t speak for yourself, outlining what interventions you do or don’t want—like resuscitation, ventilation, or life-sustaining measures. A durable power of attorney for health care designates a trusted person to make medical decisions for you when you lack capacity, ensuring there is someone to interpret your values and decisions even if you haven’t specified every scenario.

These two tools work together: the advance directive provides explicit guidance on treatments, while the durable POA appoints a surrogate to carry out those decisions or fill gaps when you can’t communicate them yourself. The durable POA for health care is not about finances (that would be a different kind of power of attorney). An advance directive does not replace your medical records; it’s a separate document that guides decisions. And informed consent is about agreeing to a specific treatment after being informed, not about appointing someone to make decisions for you.