Advance Directive for Living with Dementia
An Advance Directive for Living with Dementia can help you, loved ones, and caregivers understand what your wishes and preferences are about your care during the long course of illness and when you can’t speak for yourself. It includes your preferences about who you'd like to provide your personal care, where you'd want to live if you no longer could stay safely at home, how to pay for care, what to do if you become combative, future relationships for you and your spouse/partner, and when to stop driving. #9600EN
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can include anything that might help others know how to give you the care you need and make decisions for you when you can’t make them for yourself. This can include:
- Who you want to provide care for you in your home.
- Where you want to live if you can’t live at home anymore.
- Your cultural, religious, and gender preferences about your care.
- What to do if you become combative or abusive because of dementia.
- Preferences for financing your care.
- Preferences about future intimate relationships for yourself and/or your spouse or partner.
- When you should stop driving.
This advance directive does not address your preferences for end-of-life care. For that, you need to make a Health Care Directive (living will) to document your wishes and a Power of Attorney that names someone to make decisions for you when you can’t make them for yourself.
It is a legal advance directive under Washington state law. Medical, long-term and other providers are usually legally required to follow your advance directives. There are exceptions.
Even if you live outside Washington state, this advance directive provides valuable guidance to your loved ones and caregivers.
It’s best if you sign your directive in front of a notary.
If you can’t find a notary, you can sign in front of 2 qualified witnesses. (The form says who qualifies.)
Give copies to any medical providers, loved ones, and people involved in providing your care or making decisions for you. If you have any Powers of Attorney, give copies to them.
The best way to make sure your wishes will be honored is to talk with your medical team, your care facility, your caregivers, and your loved ones about this Advance Directive and then ask them to honor your choices and decisions.
If you are worried about Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, you may be overwhelmed with concerns about your finances and health care in the future. The Dementia Legal Planning Toolkit can help you make important financial and health care decisions and give you a place to write them down