Health Care Directives

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A health care directive is a private agreement that allows the principal to name a health care agent to make health care decisions and to provide instructions about health care if the principal no longer has decision making capacity. A Minnesota Health Care Directive has six basic requirements. It must:

1. Be in writing;
2. Be dated;
3. State the Principal’s name;
4. Be executed by a Principal with capacity;
5. Contain verification of the Principal’s signature, and
6. Include a Health Care Instruction, name a Health Care Agent, or both.