Document Center
Living Wills and Other Advance Directives
End of life decisions about medical care can be much easier when advance directives are used. An advanced directive simply means a statement, made while you are competent, about the medical treatment you want when you consciously cannot make decisions. Decisions made early and communicated plainly may have tremendous value for the person and the family.
The state of Florida provides excellent information about health care advanced directives. The main types of advance directives are:
- Living Will, a written or oral statement that specifies the kind of care you want or do not want
- Health care surrogate, a document that designates the person who will make medical decisions for you. An alternative is called a "durable power of attorney," which designates a representative who could have other duties as well: legal, financial, etc.
- Do not resuscitate order (DNRO), a specific yellow form available from the Florida Department of Health that tells medical personnel you do not want to be resuscitated from respiratory or cardiac arrest. The DNRO is used, for example, with patients having terminal cancer or untreatable organ failure.
- Anatomical donation, a document indicating your wish to donate all or part of your body at death.
Here is important information about advance directives:
- A lawyer is not required to create an advance directive, unless you desire one.
- Two witnesses are required, whether the directive is oral or written. One must not be a spouse or blood relative.
- Read and discuss your directive with those concerned (your doctor, surrogate, family) to make sure that they understand your wishes as you intend them.
- Give copies to the appropriate people. These might include your family and loved ones, your physician, your lawyer, and your clergy.
- You may change or cancel a directive at any time.
For more information about Living Wills and other Advance Directives, including forms go to
The Agency for Health Care Administration
To learn more about DNRO's, visit the Department of Health at www.doh.state.fl.us or www.MyFlorida.com and type DNRO in these website search engines or call (850) 245-4440.