A document that defines what treatment is allowed in the event a terminal patient becomes too ill to communicate is called a(n) _______.

A document that defines what treatment is allowed in the event a terminal patient becomes too ill to communicate is called a(n) _______.

• A. Power of Attorney
• B. Living Will
• C. Advance Directive
• D. DNR

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is recording a person’s preferences for medical treatment when they can’t communicate. A living will is a written statement that specifies which treatments a person wants or does not want in end-of-life or incapacity situations. It directly lays out what care should be provided or withheld if the patient is terminal and unable to speak for themselves, which is exactly what the question describes. A durable power of attorney for health care designates someone to make decisions on the patient’s behalf, rather than listing the patient’s own treatment preferences. An advance directive is the broader category that can include a living will and a health care proxy, but the specific document describing allowed treatments is the living will. A Do Not Resuscitate order focuses only on CPR decisions and doesn’t detail broader treatment choices.

The main idea here is recording a person’s preferences for medical treatment when they can’t communicate. A living will is a written statement that specifies which treatments a person wants or does not want in end-of-life or incapacity situations. It directly lays out what care should be provided or withheld if the patient is terminal and unable to speak for themselves, which is exactly what the question describes.

A durable power of attorney for health care designates someone to make decisions on the patient’s behalf, rather than listing the patient’s own treatment preferences. An advance directive is the broader category that can include a living will and a health care proxy, but the specific document describing allowed treatments is the living will. A Do Not Resuscitate order focuses only on CPR decisions and doesn’t detail broader treatment choices.