How to Create an Advance Directive in Oregon

An advance directive is a form that lets you share your wishes with your medical team, family, and friends in case you can’t make medical decisions yourself. This article will explain how to create one.

Step 1: Pick a healthcare representative 

Your healthcare representative will make decisions when you can’t make them anymore.  

When deciding who should be your healthcare representative, you should pick someone you trust to make decisions that follow your health care wishes.  

Some people pick someone with a medical background, but that’s not required. What matters most is that they can make choices that fit what you want. 

Some questions you can ask yourself when choosing someone: 

• Do they live close to me, and will they be available when I need them? 
• Will they respect my decisions? 
• Will they be comfortable talking about death? 
• Are they assertive? 

A healthcare representative is required to be 18 years old or older. You will need their current contact information. You may also want to choose an alternate, or two, in case your first pick can’t serve. 

Your healthcare representative must agree to do it. They can do that by: 

• Signing the form, or 
• Telling someone they agree to serve. 

Step 2: Fill out the form 

You can find the form at the Oregon Health Authority’s website. You can either print this out and do it by hand or fill it out online. The form is available in 19 different languages. 

In the advance directive you will:  

Add information about you and your healthcare representative. Here, you put the name and contact information for you and your representative. 

Share your healthcare instructions. Here, you let your representative and doctor know what you want if you can’t decide for yourself.  

You can also decide what to do if you: 

• Have a terminal condition, which is something that will end in your death. 
• Have an advanced progressive illness, which is a serious disease that will get worse. 
• Are permanently unconscious, which means you will not wake up.  

Provide other information. This can include: 

• Whether you want to be cared for at home or in the hospital. 
• Who your health care representative can talk to about your health status and care. 

You can also add details about your religious beliefs and values to help guide your health care representative in making decisions. 

Filling out an advance directive takes real thought. Many people find it helpful to read through the form once before filling it out, so they know what decisions they'll be making. 

Step 3: Sign the form  

You can either: 

• Have your signature notarized. 
• Sign the form in front of two adult witnesses. Neither witness can be your healthcare representative or your healthcare provider. 

Step 4: Make copies 

You should give them to:  

• Your medical providers. 
• Your health care representative. 

Keep a copy somewhere easy to find in an emergency. Make sure your healthcare representative knows where it is. 

You can keep the original in a safe spot, like with your birth or marriage certificates. You can also save a copy on your computer or phone.  

If you are having a serious procedure done, you may also be able to keep a copy on file at the hospital. 

Step 5: Tell your family and close friends  

You want to make sure the people closest to you know about the advance directive, in case something happens.