Which term describes written instructions about medical care preferences if a patient becomes unable to communicate?

• A. Living Will
• B. Power of Attorney
• C. Advance Directive
• D. Informed Consent

Answer: (C)

The main idea is an advance directive. It’s a written plan that records a person’s preferences for medical care in case they later become unable to communicate. This document guides clinicians and loved ones when decisions must be made without the patient’s input.

An advance directive often includes two parts: a living will, which states what treatments you do or don’t want, and a durable power of attorney for health care, which names who should make decisions for you if you can’t. Informed consent, by contrast, is about agreeing to a specific treatment while you’re able to consent at that moment. So the broader term for written instructions about future care is advance directive, making it the best fit.