Advance Directives
Advance directives put your healthcare wishes in writing before a crisis, so the people who love you and the clinicians who care for you know exactly what you want. Below is a brief summary of each of the directives recognized in Arizona, plus where to download, complete and register your forms.
What Are Advance Directives?
Advance directives are legal documents that record how you want to be cared for if illness or injury leaves you unable to speak for yourself, and who you want to speak on your behalf. They take effect only when you can no longer make or communicate your own decisions, and you can update or revoke them at any time.
No advance directive is required in Arizona, and you may complete as many or as few as you wish. Once your forms are signed, you can file them with the Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry (AzHDR), a secure statewide registry operated by Contexture, so your care team can find them when it matters most.
A Brief Summary of Each Advance Directive
Arizona recognizes four advance directive forms. A POLST form is a separate, provider-signed medical order used when someone is already seriously ill or frail.
Living Will
A living will describes the medical treatment you would or would not want at the end of life, including CPR, breathing machines, artificial nutrition and hydration, and comfort-focused care. You can complete one at any point in your life, and it guides your family and providers only when you are unable to speak for yourself.
Health Care Power of Attorney
This form names the person you trust to make medical decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. Your agent can speak with your care team, review your records and consent to or decline treatment, following the wishes you have already put in writing.
Mental Health Care Power of Attorney
Arizona uses a separate form for mental health care. It gives your agent authority to make decisions about mental health treatment, including inpatient care, which a standard health care power of attorney does not cover on its own.
Pre-Hospital Medical Directive (DNR)
Often called a Do Not Resuscitate order, this directive tells paramedics and other first responders not to attempt CPR or related resuscitation if your heart or breathing stops. It is signed by you or your agent along with your provider and a witness, and is printed on orange paper so it is easy to spot in an emergency.
POLST
Portable Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment are for people who are already seriously ill or medically frail. You complete a POLST with your physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner after discussing your diagnosis, prognosis and goals, and you both sign it. Unlike a living will, it is an active medical order that travels with you between home, facility and hospital. AzHDR accepts a POLST only when it is attached to your living will.
Where to Get the Forms
The Arizona Attorney General's Life Care Planning Packet contains all four Arizona advance directive forms and meets state requirements. The POLST form is downloaded separately from AzHDR and printed on pink paper for your provider to complete with you.
Your wishes are documented and honored
Your family is spared painful guesswork
Your care team can access them 24/7
How to Register Your Advance Directives in Arizona
The Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry keeps your completed documents in one secure place and gives you a wallet card so loved ones and providers can view them when needed. Here is the short version of the process:
- Learn about your options. Review the directives above and AzHDR’s educational resources.
- Download and complete your forms. Use the Attorney General’s Life Care Planning Packet, or any form that meets Arizona requirements.
- Get legal help if you need it. Contexture and AzHDR cannot answer legal questions, so speak with an attorney or your provider if anything is unclear.
- Sign, date and notarize or witness each form. A form that is not properly executed cannot be accepted.
- Complete the AzHDR Registration Agreement. It must be signed and notarized, and a typed signature cannot be accepted.
- Mail or email copies to Contexture. Send copies rather than originals, since documents are not returned once uploaded. Walk-ins are not accepted.
- Watch for your confirmation. You will receive login information for your registry account and instructions for your wallet card.
Mail forms to:
Arizona Healthcare Directives Registry – Contexture
2901 N. Central Ave., Ste. 1100
Phoenix, AZ 85012
Phone: (602) 368-6371
Helpful Links
Elevate Hospice and Palliative Care provides this information for education only. It is not legal advice, and we cannot prepare or witness your documents for you. If you have questions about completing a form, please consult an attorney or your healthcare provider.
Not Sure Where to Start?
We Can Walk You Through It.
Our team talks with Phoenix and Maricopa County families about advance care planning every day. We cannot give legal advice or complete your forms, but we can explain what each directive means in plain language, help you think through the questions worth asking, and point you to the right resources for your situation.