Four Types of Advanced Directives
Living Wills, Healthcare Power of Attorney, Do Not Resuscitate, Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
Living Will
What it is for:
The Living Will document is a document which allows you to record your specific healthcare wishes (Advanced Directives, 2026).
It serves as your voice and can help your family, physician, or healthcare providers to know what care options you want or don't want (Bhattacharya et al., 2025).
It only comes into effect if you are in a condition which renders you unable to communicate needs (House et al., 2026).
POA-HC
(Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care)
Who is allowed to make health care decisions for you ?:
The POA-HC is a person who you select to make medical decisions for you if you are unable speak for yourself (House et al., 2026).
This directive is a legal document that you complete, sign, date. Witnesses are required to complete this advance directive document (National Institute on Aging [NIA], 2023).
Do Not Resuscitate (DNR)
Why is this advance directive important?:
The DNR form allows an individual to refuse life-prolonging medical care such as CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation), Intubation, artificial methods of nutrition or hydration or other life prolonging care measures (Breyre et al., 2025).
This form allows an adult to select or refuse different life-prolonging healthcare treatments/interventions (Breyre et al., 2025).
This is a legal document provided by (and for) state of Illinois adult residents and is considered a physician's order (Advance Directives., 2026).
This document is valid once it is signed by a Physician, Physician Assistant or by an Advance Practice Nurse (Miller & Reitz,2026)
Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
(POLST)
Is this the same as a DNR?
The Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment is a legal document that provides a more expansive medical directive that is honored by all medical care facilities within Illinois (Joyner & Sharma, 2026).
Once signed by yourself or Healthcare Surrogate decision maker and an appropriately licensed healthcare provider (Physician, Physician Assistant, Advance Practice Nurse), this document serves as a portable medical order (Joyner & Sharma, 2026).
This Illinois advance directive legal document expands upon the DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) form and is a set of orders that may include or refuse a variety of specific medical care wishes you have decided upon (Miller & Reitz,2026)