About this resource
This Advance Directives booklet, “Planning for Your Future Medical Care,” is published by the Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program to help Michigan residents document their wishes for medical care in case they become unable to speak for themselves. Offered as a fillable form, it guides people step by step through creating a legally recognized advance directive under Michigan law.
The booklet’s centerpiece is the Patient Advocate Designation — Michigan’s form of a durable power of attorney for health care — through which a person names someone they trust to make medical and, if they choose, mental-health and end-of-life decisions on their behalf. It also helps individuals express their values and specific wishes about treatments they would or would not want, including care near the end of life. By being fillable, the booklet makes it easy to complete, sign, and share the document with family and physicians.
This resource matters because without an advance directive, families and clinicians can be left guessing at the most stressful moments, and disagreements can arise about what a loved one would have wanted. Completing one brings clarity, reduces the burden on family, and ensures a person’s voice is honored. As a free, Michigan-specific, official resource, this booklet is an authoritative starting point. Caregivers can encourage and help a loved one complete it — access the fillable booklet through the Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program at mltcop.org.
What you'll get from this resource
- A free, fillable Michigan advance directives booklet from the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.
- Centers on the Patient Advocate Designation — Michigan's durable power of attorney for health care.
- Helps people document treatment wishes and end-of-life preferences and share them with family and physicians.
- Official and Michigan-specific; access it through mltcop.org.
Frequently asked questions
It’s Michigan’s form of a durable power of attorney for health care — naming a trusted person to make medical decisions for you if you cannot.
It ensures your wishes are honored and spares family and clinicians from guessing at stressful moments; without one, decisions may not reflect what you would have wanted.
Access the free, fillable booklet through the Michigan Long Term Care Ombudsman Program at mltcop.org.
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