A health care declaration is a written legal document that sets out how a person should be cared for in case of an emergency or incapacity. It indicates a person's preferences for medical care when they are unable to make decisions for themselves, such as appointed proxies, treatment and unwanted treatment in the event of resuscitation, dementia and life-threatening conditions, etc., to ensure that the individual's medical preferences are respected. This document may have other names, such as health care directive, living will, advance declaration, or directive to physicians.
[Last updated in March of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]