legalwills.ca
By Tim Hewson
December 11th, 2024
Advance care terminology in Canada is confusing because each province uses different names for similar documents.
“Living Will,” “advance directive,” “personal directive,” “healthcare directive,” and “representation agreement” all refer to related – but not identical – concepts. This guide clarifies each term, explains the differences, and shows how they fit together in your estate plan.
The main obstacle which prevents Canadian citizens from creating advance care plans stems from the different words which provinces use to describe these healthcare directives. Different geographical areas establish various terms to describe the same concept which appears under three to four different names. Healthcare professionals together with lawyers and government agencies use these terms without distinction although their legal meanings differ from each other.
