An advance directive (also called a health care directive, medical directive, personal directive, or living will) is a document in which you can name someone you trust (such as your spouse, partner, sibling, or good friend) as your surrogate or proxy, to make medical decisions for you when you are unable to do so, and in which you can set out your wishes about the extent of medical care you want to receive if you are in a persistent vegetative state (coma) or if you are likely to die from an irreversible condition.