The most important step that you can take in order to ensure that your health care decisions are respected by your family and doctors is to execute legal documents concerning your health care decisions, or advance healthcare directives, in accordance with your state’s laws. These documents allow you to express, in writing, what sort of medical treatment that you want, or don’t want, to receive, in the event that your medical condition renders you unable to make those decisions yourself. Common types of advance healthcare directives include living wills, which give guidance on your wishes in terms of life-sustaining medical treatment, health care powers of attorney, which designate another person to make healthcare decisions for you if you unable to do so, and do not resuscitate orders, which instruct medical personnel to refrain from giving you cardiopulmonary respiration (CPR) in the event of a medical emergency. However, keep in mind that there still are some state laws and/or medical situations that may cause your doctor or other health care provider to disregard your advance healthcare directives.