An advance directive is a form used to identify who you would want to make medical decisions for you if you were unable to do so.
(PRUnderground) April 16th, 2025
Sometimes it’s a medical emergency or other accident that make it so a person cannot speak for themselves. Part of emergency preparedness is planning ahead for medical emergencies long before they happen, so decision-making for loved ones is less stressful and more straightforward in a moment of crisis.
April 16 is National Healthcare Decision Day, which encourages people to create an advance directive or legal document that identifies who can make medical decisions on your behalf, if you become too sick to make those decisions, yourself. That person is called a healthcare agent.
What an advance directive can do
An advance directive is a form used to identify who you would want to make medical decisions for you if you were unable to do so. It also allows you to inform healthcare providers and your loved ones about what types of treatment you want or don’t want.
There are many reasons people can become unable to speak for themselves, even if just temporarily. This can include serious injuries or illnesses where a person is mentally or physically incapacitated or more permanent conditions such as dementia.
“Advance directives are important legal documents, but in Utah you do not need a lawyer to complete one. The most important part of completing an advance directive is naming you medical decision-makers, and if you happen to include a description of what a minimally acceptable quality of life means to you, even better,” said Cory Taylor, MD, a palliative care physician at Intermountain Health.
When to make an advance directive
Advance directives are important for anyone over 18, and even younger if they have a serious chronic condition.
Advance directives should be updated any time you receive a serious diagnosis, your health is declining, you get married or divorced, or your healthcare agent dies or becomes unable to serve as your agent.
There is another form to specify about life-sustaining treatment
“Advance directives are not medical orders. If you would rather die comfortably than receive CPR – or, in other words, if you wish to have an active ‘DNR’ or ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ order, it’s important to complete another short form called a Provider Order for Life Sustaining Treatment,” said Dr. Taylor. “This form is used to protect people from receiving medical therapies they don’t want and must be signed by a medical provider and posted in your home where loved ones and emergency crews can easily see it. Talk with your medical provider if you want to complete this form.”
Free virtual workshops on advance care planning
Intermountain Health is offering free one-hour virtual workshops which help people get started with the necessary steps to complete advance care planning.
The free workshops are offered on Wed. April 9 at 2:00 or Tues. April 29 at 10:00, and about twice a month thereafter. Some evening workshops are available. To register, scan the QR code on your screen or visit the Advance Care planning webpage on intermountainhealth.org.
Click here for copies of the Utah forms for Advance Directives.
About Intermountain Health
Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a not-for-profit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
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Original Press Release.
