Many individuals and families are confused about advance directives and healthcare power of attorney (PoA) documentation. They either don’t understand why they need to have such documents, or don’t know how to go about having them drawn up.

“As a critical care doctor, I often ask the family members about my patient’s wishes,” said Dr. Silvia Perez Protto, medical director for the Cleveland Clinic’s End of Life Center. “Most of the time, however, they have not had that conversation.”

A new article posted this month on the Clinic’s blog seeks to clear up some of the uncertainties people may have.

Perez Protto advised all individuals over the age of 18 to make their medical wishes known to their family members. But — perhaps a surprise to some — she also encouraged people to file back-up documentation with their medical providers and to provide regularly updated documents.

“Because your healthcare goals may change over time, you can have multiple conversations,” she said. “It’s important for you to talk with your healthcare providers about your wishes and values regarding care at the end of life.”

Read more here, on the Cleveland Clinic’s blog.