Your MyCare Advance Directive

Your wishes, values, and peace of mind, all in one document. 

What is the MyCare Advance Directive?

The MyCare Advance Directive is the most common Advance Directive form you will see in Santa Barbara and the one we work the most with at Get It Done SB!

MyCare was developed by multiple healthcare partners in the county including Cottage Hospital, and was created for uniformity for medical partners to find the information they need quickly and efficiently. It is a legal document that is valid in 42 states, not just California, and acts as a guideline for your healthcare.

The MyCare Advance Directive is intended to be completed by individuals with the mental capacity to make decisions, but does not require a doctor or attorney to be completed.

*MyCare is not the only version of the document that is available, rather the one encouraged in South Santa Barbara County for uniform use.

Required and Optional Sections of MyCare

Required Sections (Pages 6-14)

  • Your healthcare agent is someone you choose to make decisions for you in the event you cannot speak for yourself.

    Your healthcare agent does not have to be a family member, but they must be an adult who knows you well, has accepted the responsibility, can be trusted to carry out your wishes, and can be contacted easily.

    Ideally it should also be someone who can handle stressful situations and remain levelheaded when talking to your medical team and loved ones.

  • The MyCare document also helps you make decisions about CPR, which occurs when a person has stopped breathing & the heart has stopped beating. It can include chest compressions, a breathing tube, medications, and electric shocks.

  • The types of Life-Sustaining Treatments covered in the MyCare Advance Directive include artificial nutrition/hydration (feeding tube), ventilator, and dialysis, but there can be more. These treatments prolong life while CPR saves lives.

  • The last section of the MyCare Advance Directive involves organ donation. Individuals have the option to donate organs (such as the heart, lungs, or kidneys) and/or tissues (such as corneas, bones, and valves). Anyone can be a donor, regardless of age, ethnic origin, immigration status, or medical history.

Optional Sections (Pages 15-17)

The MyCare Advance Directive also includes optional sections, which are not submitted to your medical record, but allow you to write down your wishes, values, and preferences for spiritual and emotional care. This includes any faith-based tradition, instructions for memorial services, and notes on your ideal quality of life (or what makes your life worth living).

Although this information is not submitted to Cottage, we always encourage anyone filling out the document to take time to fill out these sections specifically with their loved ones in mind, so that they have an understanding of all of your wishes, both medical and non-medical, that you would want fulfilled.

Making your MyCare Document Legal

The MyCare Advance Directive is intended to be completed by individuals with the mental capacity to make decisions, but does not require a doctor or attorney to be completed. The MyCare document can be legalized two ways:

Statement of Witnesses

Have two adult witnesses sign the form who you know personally or who can confirm your identity.

OR

Notary Public

Have it notarized by a notary public. You must present a current government ID such as a Driver’s License or Passport.