Advance Directives

The Importance Of Completing Advance Directives. It is extremely important to complete written instructions regarding your wishes for health care treatment. While completing your advance directives, discuss your values and what “quality of life” means to you with your loved ones, your doctor and anyone else you may want to involve. If you become unable to communicate directions yourself, your advance directive will help health care providers, family members and friends make decisions that more closely reflect your own unique, personal preferences.

Colorado recognizes the following types of advance directives for health care treatment:

1. Living Wills. Your wishes regarding health care treatment if you are diagnosed as having a terminal condition.
2. Durable Medical Powers of Attorney. You may designate an agent to make decisions for you in the event you become, either temporally or permanently, mentally incapacitated. This person should be a close friend, family member or other person whom you know and trust to make decisions based on your preferences and and values.
3. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Directive. This directive can be obtained from your health care provider and is intended to be used when you are certain that you do not want CPR to be administered.
4. Health Care Proxy. Colorado law also provides for proxy decision-makers for medical treatment when a patient is unable to speak for him/herself. This informal process is intended to permit "interested persons,"including family members and close friends who know the incapacitated person’s values and preferences, to make decisions regarding medical treatment by consensus.

Health Care Ethics Consultations: Most hospitals have Health Care Ethics Committees who can help you by offering guidance and assistance in making difficult choices related to end-of-life decisions or other bioethical issues. More information about advance directives and end-of-life decisions is available at:

Information courtesy of Elizabeth A. Kelly, Attorney/Mediator and Bill Beyers, Attorney at Law, Elder Care Network Participants. The information contained on this website is NOT a substitute for legal advice and no representations are made as to the accuracy of this information.