Advance directives are normally one or more documents that list your health care instructions. An advance. directive may name a person of your choice to make health care choices for you when you cannot make the. choices for yourself. If you want, you may use an advance directive to prevent certain people from making. health care decisions on your behalf. Your advance directives will not take away your right to decide your current health care. As long as you are. able to decide and express your own decisions, your advance directives will not be used.