Which statement about advance directives is correct?

• A. They are legally binding documents that specify a client's wishes and must be documented in the medical record.
• B. The client has decided not to have any advance directives.
• C. They must be signed by the spouse to be valid.
• D. They are guidelines for the family's decisions about treatment.

Answer: (A)

Advance directives empower patient autonomy by providing legally binding instructions about future medical care when the patient cannot speak for themselves. They specify the treatments a person does or does not want and guide clinicians to honor those wishes, which is why they are kept in the medical record where they are easily accessible during care. They can include documents like a living will or a durable power of attorney for health care, and they remain valid regardless of family members’ preferences. They are not simply guidelines for the family, nor do they require a spouse to sign for them to be valid, and ownership of the directive lies with the patient, not any single family member.