Advance Directives

Advance Directives are written guidance to your family, loved ones, and healthcare providers about your values and wishes concerning future health care choices. Called “advance” because it is prepared prior to a health crisis in which it would guide medical care. They are intended to help you think through your priorities and to have “the conversation” with those who are close.

An Advance Directive includes a person’s living will and also allow you to identify a surrogate healthcare decision-maker who can represent your wishes should you become incapacitated. Advance directives vary by state and can include other documents, such as a dementia provision. State-specific advance directives make clear your end-of-life preferences if you are unable to make or communicate medical treatment decisions yourself.

Living Will

A living will is a document that expresses a person’s end-of-life preferences if they become unable to speak for themselves. A living will is just one component of an advance directive.

New Mexico Advance Directive

Advance care planning is a process, not an event, and is planning for future care based on a person’s values, beliefs, preferences, and specific medical issues. An advance directive is the record of that process. It is both an umbrella term for defining and expressing how one wants to live and be treated and for state approved advance directive documents which allow you to specify those things and usually to appoint a person (healthcare durable power of attorney) to speak when you are unable to speak for yourself. 

You have the right to give instructions about your own health care. You also have the right to name someone else to make health-care decisions for you. This Optional Advance Healthcare Directive lets you do either or both of these things. It also lets you express your wishes regarding the designation of your primary physician. 

University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Institute for Ethics

Click here for their Values History Form.
It is important that your medical treatment be your choice. The purpose of this form is to assist you in thinking about and writing down what is important to you about your health.

In the state of New Mexico, you are legally entitled to state your preferences for treatment in advance in case a time comes when you are no longer able to make those decisions for yourself. You also have a right to choose a person to make those decisions for you. If you do not appoint someone, the law provides that an appropriate relative or friend in a special relationship with you can make health care decisions on your behalf. Click here for Advance Directive form.

My End-of-Life Decisions: An Advance Planning Guide and Toolkit

Learn more at Compassion and Choices free End of Life Planning Guide

Like many people, you may have put off making decisions about your end-of-life care. Thinking and talking about end-of-life issues can be difficult, and putting documents in place can seem daunting. This guide will help you think through your priorities for end-of-life care, complete an advance directive and other forms you may need, choose a representative to speak for you if you cannot, and consider common end-of-life medical interventions so you can specify what you want or don’t want — right up to the end. And it will guide you in having valuable conversations with your healthcare providers and loved ones.

Five Wishes

Learn more at  Five Wishes.

Five Wishes is an easy-to-use legal advance directive document written in everyday language. It helps all adults, regardless of age or health, to consider and document how they want to be cared for at the end of life. It is America’s most popular living will with more than 35 million copies in circulation.

Five Wishes is unique among all other living will and healthcare agent forms because it speaks to all of a person’s needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also helps to guide and structure discussions with your family and physician, making conversations easier.

NM-Advance-Directive-Cover
PDF For download. 16 pgs.

New Mexico Advance Directive

Learn more at CaringInfo

 Advance care planning is a process, not an event, and is planning for future care based on a person’s values, beliefs, preferences, and specific medical issues. An advance directive is the record of that process. It is both an umbrella term for defining and expressing how one wants to live and be treated and for state approved advance directive documents which allow you to specify those things and usually to appoint a person (healthcare durable power of attorney) to speak when you are unable to speak for yourself.

Download pdf
Values-history-cover
PDF For download. 14 pgs.

University of New Mexico Health Science Center, Institute for Ethics

It is important that your medical treatment be your choice. The purpose of this form is to assist you in thinking about and writing down what is important to you about your health.

In the state of New Mexico, you are legally entitled to state your preferences for treatment in advance in case a time comes when you are no longer able to make those decisions for yourself. You also have a right to choose a person to make those decisions for you. If you do not appoint someone, the law provides that an appropriate relative or friend in a special relationship with you can make health care decisions on your behalf. Click here for the New Mexico Advance Directive forms

Download pdf
end-of-life-decisions-cover
PDF For download. 36 pgs.

My End-of-Life Decisions: An Advance Planning Guide and Toolkit

Learn more at Compassion and Choices

Like many people, you may have put off making decisions about your end-of-life care. Thinking and talking about end-of-life issues can be difficult, and putting documents in place can seem daunting. That’s why we have developed this advance planning guide. The guide will help you think through your priorities for end-of-life care, complete an advance directive and other forms you may need, choose a representative to speak for you if you cannot, and consider common end-of-life medical interventions so you can specify what you want or don’t want — right up to the end. And it will guide you in having valuable conversations with your healthcare providers and loved ones.
Download pdf
five-wishes-cover
PDF For Sale - $5

FiveWishes

Learn more at FiveWishes.com

Five Wishes is an easy-to-use legal advance directive document written in everyday language. It helps all adults, regardless of age or health, to consider and document how they want to be cared for at the end of life. It is America’s most popular living will with more than 35 million copies in circulation.

Five Wishes is unique among all other living will and healthcare agent forms because it speaks to all of a person’s needs: medical, personal, emotional and spiritual. Five Wishes also helps to guide and structure discussions with your family and physician, making conversations easier.

Learn more

RESOURCES:

CaringInfo

CaringInfo

When planning for your future medical care, prepare your advance directives to be sure your loved ones make health choices according to your wishes.

AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age.

Five Wishes

Five Wishes is changing the way we talk about advance care planning. Five Wishes is a complete approach to discussing and documenting your care and comfort choices. It’s about connecting families, communicating with healthcare providers, and showing your community what it means to care for one another.

Compassion and Choices

Try their free End of Life Planning Guide to help you think through your priorities for end of life care, complete an advance directive and other forms you may need, choose a representative to speak for you if you cannot, and consider common end of life medical interventions so you can specify what you want or don’t want – right up to the end. And, it will guide you in having valuable conversations with your healthcare providers and loved ones.

NM MOST

New Mexico Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment

Planning for your future healthcare is important to make sure you get the medical care you want if you become unable to speak for yourself. To do this, have a conversation with your doctor or healthcare provider. Make sure to talk about your health, possible outcomes, and treatment options. Then, ask your doctor or provider to complete the New Mexico Medical Orders for Scope of Treatment (MOST) form based on your choices made during that conversation. You and your doctor or provider need to sign and date the form. The NM MOST form is a legal document that goes into effect only if you become incapacitated and are unable to speak for yourself. It helps others know what type of medical care you want.
Learn about Healthcare Surrogates