Ultimately, it's up to the patient, and whoever speaks for them, to make decisions and implement them expeditiously. It requires legal and medical documents, and to be able to present them quickly. Each state has its own rules, and the eldercare locator can help find them. Without directives and medical orders, medical professionals will make every effort to resuscitate you, regardless of your wishes or the expense. A legal checklist includes:

 A living will speaks for you if you can’t. It states the care you do or don't want. It makes it easier for the family to act, but it’s not sufficient.

 A durable power of attorney for health care names a person(s) to make the medical decisions you want if you can't.

 A general power of attorney gives a person authority to act for you, but ends if you can’t make decisions yourself.

 A durable power of attorney lets a person act as your legal agent even if you can’t make decisions.

The medical checklist includes:

 A do not resuscitate order (DNR, also DNAR and AND) tells hospital and nursing home medical staff not to resuscitate you under specific conditions, and it can be posted next to your bed.

 A do not intubate order (DNI) tells medical staff in a hospital or nursing facility not to put you on a breathing machine.

 A non-hospital DNR order alerts emergency medical personnel not to resuscitate you outside a hospital

 Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) and Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) convert your medical care preferences into a doctor's orders. Once signed by your doctor, medical orders authorize health care professionals to take action directly.

 An advance directive wallet card states how to access the advance directive and healthcare power of attorney.