Live in Oregon? This article covers the Oregon version of this page.
This part of the questionnaire asks about your medical care if you ever cannot speak for yourself. That could be for a short time or near the end of life. Your answers help your attorney prepare your Health Care Power of Attorney and Health Care Directive.
Nothing you enter here is final. It is fine to be unsure, to change your mind later, or to leave parts blank.
Depending on how your attorney set up your questionnaire, these questions may be on one page. Or they may be split across two pages: Health Care and End of Life Preferences.
Why these questions matter
These questions help your attorney understand how medical decisions should be made if you cannot make them yourself. They show:
- How you want decisions made for you
- How much guidance, or how much freedom, you want to give the person who decides
- Whether personal, health, or religious concerns should shape those decisions
Your answers help make sure your documents reflect what matters most to you, even if your thinking is still taking shape.
Want to read more?
These articles go deeper. They are optional, and you can read them now or later.
- Choosing your health care agent: What to look for in the person who makes medical decisions for you. See this article.
- Health care and end-of-life wishes: Common medical and end-of-life questions, to help you think through your values. See this article.
About your health care agent
Your health care agent is the person who makes medical decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself. Your agent may need to:
- Talk with your doctors and care team
- Interpret your wishes when the situation is unclear
- Make decisions quickly, under stress
No document can predict every situation. So the role takes judgment and a clear sense of your values, not only medical knowledge.
You do not need to settle all of this here. Your answers help your attorney judge how much guidance and authority to give the agent you choose.
Your health care preferences
Some questions ask about:
- Whether your agent may make decisions about mental health or psychiatric care
- Where you would prefer to receive care, such as at home, in a hospital, or in a care facility, including long-term and end-of-life care
- Any health conditions you have now
- How you think about serious illness, memory loss, or dementia
- Whether personal, religious, or spiritual beliefs should guide your care
You do not need firm answers. It is enough to say that a topic matters to you, or that you want to talk about it.
Many people have views on these topics from experience: caring for a family member, helping a friend through an illness, or seeing medical decisions up close. Those experiences often shape what someone wants, or does not want, for themselves.
End-of-life preferences
These questions ask about your general direction, not final decisions. They are some of the hardest questions in planning, and you do not need perfect answers. Your attorney uses your answers to prepare documents that reflect your values.
Life support
You may be asked whether you would want life support continued or stopped if you are not expected to survive without it. You can also say you are unsure and want to talk it through. Some people:
- Have clear views from personal, religious, or medical experience
- Prefer comfort care over treatment that prolongs life
- Want flexibility, depending on the situation
Any of these is fine. If you are unsure, choose an answer that leaves room for discussion or lets your agent decide.
Organ donation
Some questions ask about organ donation, donating your body for scientific research, or limits on donation. Your answers show whether these topics matter to you and should be part of your plan.
It is fine to say you are interested, unsure, or want limits.
Religious, spiritual, or personal beliefs
You may see an option to say that religious, spiritual, or deeply held personal beliefs should guide your end-of-life care.
Checking it does not mean you must explain those beliefs here. It tells your attorney they matter and should be respected.
How closely your agent should follow your wishes
One question asks how strictly your health care agent should follow your written wishes. Some people want:
- Their written instructions followed as closely as possible
- Their wishes used as guidance, with room for situations no one expected
There is no right answer. Your choice shows how much freedom you want your agent to have when circumstances are unclear or change.
Other thoughts
At the end of this section, there is space for any other health care or end-of-life questions or concerns. It is optional. You might use it to:
- Explain a choice you made
- Flag something you want to talk through
- Share context from your own or your family’s experience
Even a short note helps.