Funeral Service Education (FSE) National Board Practice Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The term that specifically refers to a document in which individuals articulate their wishes regarding end-of-life care, particularly the choice to refuse life-sustaining treatment or to allow natural death, is a living will. A living will is a type of advance directive that clearly expresses a person's preferences concerning medical treatment in situations where they may no longer be able to communicate those wishes due to incapacitation.

In the broader context, advance directives encompass documents that guide healthcare decisions, and while both living wills and broader advance directives share the purpose of ensuring that a person's healthcare preferences are honored, the living will is specifically focused on the decision to allow oneself to die without aggressive medical intervention.

The other options serve different purposes within the context of healthcare decision-making. Power of attorney allows an individual to designate someone to make decisions on their behalf, which might include decisions about end-of-life care, but does not directly specify wishes itself. A do not resuscitate (DNR) order is a medical directive specifically related to resuscitation efforts, but it does not encompass all aspects of end-of-life wishes as a living will does.