Planning Ahead: National Healthcare Decisions Day and How to Create Your Advance Directive

Carrie Hyde, MD

16 Apr 2025 — 2 min read

Every year on April 16, we recognize National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD)—a day dedicated to inspiring, educating, and empowering people across the United States to think about and document their healthcare wishes. Whether you're 25 or 85, taking the time to plan ahead can make a world of difference for you and your loved ones. Putting your wishes down on paper and discussing them with your loved ones is the ultimate gift!

What Is National Healthcare Decisions Day?

NHDD is a nationwide initiative aimed at normalizing conversations about advance care planning. It reminds us that accidents, sudden illness, or progressive health conditions can affect anyone—and that having a plan in place helps ensure your values and preferences are honored, even when you can't speak for yourself.

These decisions aren't just about end-of-life care—they're about how you want to live and be treated during serious illness.

Understanding Advance Directives

An advance directive is a legal document that outlines your healthcare preferences and can name a trusted person (a “healthcare proxy” or “medical power of attorney”) to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so.

Advance directives often include:

Living Will – States the types of medical care you do or do not want (e.g., CPR, ventilators, artificial nutrition).
Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare – Appoints someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.

How to Get Started – No Lawyer Needed

You don’t need a lawyer to complete an advance directive. These free resources make it easy:

📝 CaringInfo.org – Offers free, state-specific advance directive forms and guidance.
📘 PREPARE for Your Care – An interactive site that walks you through choosing a healthcare proxy and making your wishes known.
🧾 Five Wishes – A popular and easy-to-use advance directive accepted in most states.
📄 Aging with Dignity – Home of the Five Wishes form, which combines medical, emotional, and spiritual guidance.

Once you fill out your advance directive, be sure to:

Sign it (and have witnesses or a notary if required by your state)
Share copies with your loved ones, healthcare proxy, and doctor
- Consider an electronic copy on your phone to have at all times
Upload it to your patient portal if possible

Make It a Conversation

Advance care planning isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about having conversations with the people who matter most. Talk about your values, your hopes, and what quality of life means to you. You can use tools like the * Hello Game or The Conversation Starter Guide to help get the discussion going.

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Take Action This NHDD

On this National Healthcare Decisions Day, take one simple step to plan for your future: ✅ Download a form
✅ Choose a proxy
✅ Talk to your family
✅ Share your decisions