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Sixty Plus Program - Advance Health Care Directives And Living Wills

With an Advance Health Care Directive you can direct (in writing) who you would want to make health care decisions for you, if you become unable to do so yourself. You can also give written directions and instructions on how you would want certain health issues addressed, should they arise when you are incapacitated.

  • You (or the person whose health decisions are involved) must be "competent" to sign the document -This means that you must be able to understand what it is, and what signing it means. If you are NOT able to sign it, the "living will" is NOT what is needed because it can't be signed.

  • Under Maryland law, there are alternatives if you are too sick to understand and sign documents. Call a local Senior Citizens Legal Program.

Source : Legal Aid Bureau & the Maryland Legal Assistance Network

Date last reviewed (no legal content): 3/26/08 (PLL/M.A.J.)

Is this legal advice? This site offers legal information, not legal advice.  We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information and to clearly explain your options.  However we do not provide legal advice - the application of the law to your individual circumstances. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.  See our section on Finding Legal Help.

About this website. The Maryland State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, sponsors this site. The website was developed (1999-2007) as part of an access to justice initiative by the Maryland Legal Assistance Network (MLAN) in collaboration with a number of legal services providers serving low and moderate income Marylanders.  In the absence of file-specific attribution or copyright, the Maryland State Law Library may hold the copyright to parts of this website. You are free to copy the information for your own use or for other non-commercial purposes with the following language “Source: Maryland's People’s Law Library – www.peoples-law.org. © Maryland State Law Library, 2007.”

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