advance directive

noun

1. a living will or durable power of attorney in which a person states their wishes regarding medical treatment in the event of mental incompetency or an inability to communicate.

advance directive

noun

1. another name for living will

Word History and Origins

Origin of advance directive¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

“We’re compatible and we love each other … and have the same interests — fighting for people’s rights,” said Dorio, who, along with Clough, pushed for legislation — signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom — giving families more authority to determine medical decisions for loved ones even in the absence of an advance directive.

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He realized that an advance directive written at a time when a person was competent was a potential alternative to compulsory care.

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Swanson recently encountered a woman with schizoaffective disorder who wrote on her mental health advance directive that she was willing to be hospitalized and that electroconvulsive therapy was the only treatment that worked when she was in crisis.

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And like Washington, many states have struggled to implement their psychiatric advance directive laws.

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Lack of awareness is a problem across states that have tried to strengthen the role of mental health directives, said Dr. Marvin Swartz, a psychiatrist and professor of psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center who runs the national mental health advance directive center with Swanson.

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