Advance directives are a way of making sure that your wishes and values are respected in important decisions (especially health care decisions) made for you when you are no longer able to make such decisions for yourself.<\/p>\n
There are two kinds of advance directives. In one, you choose who you would want to make these decisions for you. In the other, you give instructions about what decisions you would want made or you describe your values and beliefs to guide a decision maker about what you would have wanted in a given situation. In some parts of Canada, you can only do the first kind. In some, you can do both.<\/p>\n
You can only make an advance directive while you are competent; nobody else can make an advance directive for you. \u201cCompetent\u201d in this case means \u201cable to make important decisions for yourself.\u201d The advance directive only takes effect if you stop being competent.<\/p>\n
It is a good idea to make an advance directive while you are well. You could become incompetent or unable to speak suddenly, for example, if you were in a serious car accident.<\/p>\n
Canadian courts have said that doctors and other health care providers must respect valid advance directives.<\/p>\n
In\u00a0Malette v Shulman<\/em><\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>the Ontario Court of Appeal stated: A doctor is not free to disregard a patient\u2019s advance instructions any more than he would be free to disregard instructions given at the time of the emergency. <\/em>(at 424).<\/em><\/p>\n In\u00a0Fleming v Reid<\/em><\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0<\/em>the Ontario Court of Appeal stated: A patient, in anticipation of circumstances wherein he or she may be unconscious or otherwise incapacitated and thus unable to contemporaneously express his or her wishes about a particular form of medical treatment, may specify in advance his or her refusal to consent to the proposed treatment. A doctor is not free to disregard such advance instructions, even in an emergency. The patient\u2019s right to forgo treatment, in the absence of some overriding societal interest, is paramount to the doctor\u2019s obligation to provide medical care. This right must be honoured, even though the treatment may be beneficial or necessary to preserve the patient\u2019s life or health, and regardless of how ill-advised the patient\u2019s decision may appear to others.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Every province and territory has laws that set out rules for a valid advance directive. These laws do NOT<\/strong> apply to MAiD. It is NOT<\/strong> possible to request MAiD through a provincial or territorial advance directive. For information about requests for MAiD made in advance of loss of decision-making capacity see the section of this site Assisted Dying<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can find helpful information on advance directives (including province\/territory specific instructions and forms) below:<\/p>\n National Advance Care Planning Task Group\u2019s Speak Up Campaign<\/a><\/p>\n Dying with Dignity Canada Advance Care Planning Kits<\/a><\/p>\n You can find some single province\/territory specific resources below:<\/p>\n Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia personal directives<\/a> app<\/p>\n Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick, Advance Health Care Directives<\/a><\/p>\n British Columbia Nidus Personal Planning Resource Centre and Registry<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Community Legal Information Association of PEI, Health Care Directives<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Public Legal Education of Saskatchewan, Health Care Directives<\/a><\/p>\n You can find official government documents below:<\/p>\n General information Legislation <\/p>\n General information Legislation <\/p>\n General information Legislation <\/p>\n General information Legislation <\/p>\n General information Legislation General information Legislation General information Legislation <\/p>\n General information Legislation \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n General information Legislation \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n General information Legislation \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Legislation \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n General information Legislation Advance directives are a way of making sure that your wishes and values are respected in important decisions (especially health care decisions) made for you when you are no longer able to make such decisions for yourself. There are two … Continue reading <\/h3>\n
Alberta<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nAlberta Health, Personal Directive<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nPersonal Directives Act,<\/em><\/strong>RSA 2000, c P-6<\/strong><\/a>
\nPersonal Directives Regulation,<\/em><\/strong>Alta Reg 99\/2008<\/strong><\/a>
\nPersonal Directives (Ministerial) Regulation,<\/em><\/strong>Alta Reg 26\/1998<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nBritish Colombia<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nMinistry of Health, Advance Care Planning<\/em><\/strong><\/a>
\nMinistry of Justice, Incapacity Planning<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
\nMinistry of Health, \u201cMy Voice: Expressing My Wishes for Future Health Care Treatment\u201d Advance Care Planning Guide<\/a><\/strong><\/em>
\nPublic Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia, \u201cIt\u2019s Your Choice, Personal Planning Tools\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nHealth Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>RSBC 1996, c 181<\/strong><\/a>
\nHealth Care Consent Regulation,<\/em>BC Reg 20\/2000<\/a><\/strong>
\nRepresentation Agreement Act,<\/em>RSBC 1996, c 405<\/a><\/strong>
\nRepresentation Agreement Regulation,<\/em>BC Reg 199\/2001<\/a><\/strong>
\nAdult Guardianship Act<\/em>, RSBC 1996, c 6<\/a><\/strong>
\nPatients Property Act<\/em>, RSBC 1996, c 349<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nManitoba<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nManitoba Health, Health Care Directive<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nThe Health Care Directives Act,<\/em><\/strong>CCSM c H 27<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
New Brunswick<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nNew Brunswick Health, Advance Health Care Planning<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nInfirm Persons Act<\/em><\/strong>, RSNB 1973, c I-8<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
Newfoundland and Labrador<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nNewfoundland Department of Health and Community Services and Justice, \u201cHow to Make an Advance Health Care Directive\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
\nAdvanced Health Care Directives Act,<\/em><\/strong>SNL 1995, c A-4.1<\/strong><\/a>
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nNorthwest Territories<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nNorthwest Territories Health and Social Services, \u201cPersonal Directives\u201d<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nPersonal Directives Act,<\/em><\/strong>SNWT 2005 c 16<\/strong><\/a>
\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nNova Scotia<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nNova Scotia Department of Justice, Personal Directives in Nova Scotia<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nPersonal Directives Act,<\/strong>SNS 2008, c 8<\/strong><\/a><\/em>
\nPersonal Directives Regulations,<\/strong>NS Reg 31\/2010<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
Ontario<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nMinistry of the Attorney General of Ontario, How Powers of Attorney Work<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n
\nHealth Care Consent Act,<\/em><\/strong>SO 1996, c 2 Sch A<\/strong><\/a>
\nEvaluators<\/em><\/strong>, O Reg 104\/96<\/strong><\/a>
\nSubstitute Decisions Act,\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>1992, SO 1992, c 30<\/strong><\/a>
\nCapacity Assessment<\/em><\/strong>, O Reg 460\/05<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nPrince Edward Island<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nHealth PEI, Advance Care Planning<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nConsent to Treatment and Health Care Directives Act<\/em><\/strong>RSPEI 1988, c C-17.2<\/strong><\/a>
\nGeneral Regulations<\/em><\/strong>PEI Reg EC356\/00<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nQu\u00e9bec<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nThe Curateur public of Qu\u00e9bec<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\nCivil Code of Qu\u00e9bec, CQLR c C-1991<\/em><\/strong><\/a>
\nPublic Curator Act,<\/em><\/strong>RSQ c C-81<\/strong><\/a>
\nRegulation respecting the application of the Public Curator Act,<\/em><\/strong>chapter C-81 r.1<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nSaskatchewan<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nThe Health Care Directives and Substitute Health Care Decision Makers Act,\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>2015 SS 2015, c H-0.002<\/strong><\/a>
\nThe Health Care Directives and Substitute Health Care Decision Makers Regulations<\/em><\/strong>, 2017, RRS c H-0.002 Reg 1<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nYukon<\/span><\/h3>\n
\nYukon Health and Social Services on Advance Directives<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
\nCare Consent Act <\/em><\/strong>SY, 2003, c 21, Sch B<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"