Advance Directive (Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Will) for Veterans

An advance directive is a legal form that helps your doctors, family, and friends understand your wishes about medical and mental health care. It can help them decide about treatments if you are not able to decide for yourself. There are two types of advance directives: durable power of attorney for health care and living will. The VA Advanced Directive form allows you to complete both in a single document and to have this information placed in your VA medical record. The VA honors all types of legal advance directives and does not require a veteran use the VA form.

If you do not have an advanced directive naming someone to make medical decisions for you, VA policy is that your VA health care provider will choose someone to make decisions for you. The VA provider will go in this order: legal guardian, spouse, adult child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, and close friend. If the health care provider cannot find anyone from this list and it is an emergency, VA staff may have to make this decision for you. If it is not an emergency, the VA may have to ask the court to appoint a guardian to make decisions for you.

The decision of who will make medical decisions for you if you are unable is an important one. It is also important that your document meets state law should you need medical treatment outside of a VA medical facility. See Iowa Code chapters 144A and 144B. It is always helpful to speak with an attorney before creating or signing any legal document.

• For more information about the form and to access the link to download the form, visit the VA website here. 
• The VA provides "what you should know" about the VA Advance Directive on its website here. 
• For information about family rights at VA facilities, visit the VA website here.
• The VA has an educational handout made for VA employees describing VA policies about decision making for patients who do not have an advance directive and do not have family or friends who can help. 
• visit the Life Planning section of this website for information about completing life planning documents and options for assistance.