Where can I get an advance directive?
As far as where to get the actual forms and the specific type of document that you may want to execute as far as an advanced directive – at least in California it's required that all Physician's offices have on hand the blank forms for a durable power of attorney for health care, where you can designate somebody to make decisions on your behalf if you are incapacitated. Also, any physician's office would have, what we call, free hospital DNR forms or Do Not Resuscitate forms. So if you are somebody who says “I don't ever want them pounding my chest” or “giving me electrical shocks” or “Putting a tube down my throat to breathe for me”, if you are ninety years old that is probably a pretty reasonable thing to do to not want people to do, since your risk of surviving is pretty slim. You should be able to get that in your own Doctor's office. Post it on your refrigerator so that if the Paramedics come they can be shown the form and they won't do the heroic measures or the painful invasive measures. You can also contact an elder law attorney that's always a good source, and on the Internet and in fact the American Bar Association has some excellent forms that will help. It will ask questions that you won't even ever have thought of, as far as what you value and what things would make you want to prolong your life versus what things that you would not want to prolong your life with. So that would also be a good source.
