How to Update or Revoke an Advance Directive in Yukon

You wrote your Advance Directive five years ago when you were healthy and living in Whitehorse. Since then, you have been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's, your proxy has moved to Vancouver, and your views on life-sustaining treatment have shifted. The directive sitting in your filing cabinet no longer reflects your actual wishes — and if it is activated, your proxy will be working from outdated instructions.

An Advance Directive is not a permanent document. It should evolve as your health, relationships, and values change.

When to Update

Certain life events should trigger an immediate review:

New diagnosis: A chronic or terminal diagnosis changes the medical scenarios your directive needs to address. A directive written when you were healthy probably does not contemplate the specific interventions relevant to Parkinson's, cancer, ALS, or dementia. Update it to include instructions for the conditions you are now likely to face.

Proxy changes: If your proxy has moved out of reach, become incapable, died, or if your relationship has changed, you need a new proxy appointment. An unreachable proxy is functionally the same as having no proxy at all.

Divorce or separation: Under Yukon law, divorce or separation does not automatically revoke your proxy appointment in an Advance Directive. If your ex-spouse is your named proxy, they remain legally authorized to make your healthcare decisions unless you execute a new directive. This is different from how divorce affects wills (where spousal gifts are automatically revoked) and catches many people off guard.

Milestone ages: Many planners set decade markers — at 50, 60, 70 — as routine review points. Your values at 45 may differ substantially from your values at 65, particularly regarding aggressive treatment, long-term care preferences, and quality-of-life thresholds.

Changes in medical values: Even without a specific event, you may simply change your mind. You might decide that tube feeding is acceptable under certain conditions, or that you no longer want CPR attempted under any circumstances. These shifts deserve documentation.

How to Revoke an Existing Directive

The Care Consent Act allows you to revoke an Advance Directive while you still have the capacity to understand what revocation means. The process:

1. Draft a signed, dated revocation statement — a simple written declaration that you are revoking your previous Advance Directive, with the date of the original directive for identification
2. Execute a new Advance Directive — a new directive automatically revokes all previous versions if it contains a standard revocation clause (and it should)
3. Retrieve and destroy all distributed copies — contact everyone who holds a copy of the old directive and collect the outdated versions. Physically destroy them to prevent confusion
4. Notify Insured Health Services — submit a new Notification Card to update the registry with the date of your new directive
5. Notify your physician and health centre — provide copies of the new directive to replace the old one in their files

What You Cannot Do

You cannot update an Advance Directive with a handwritten amendment or a sticky note. The Care Consent Act requires the same execution formalities for any change — two independent witnesses, proxy signatures, the full signing protocol. A partially modified directive creates legal ambiguity about which portions are valid.

The cleanest approach is always to execute an entirely new directive and revoke the previous one. This eliminates any question about which instructions apply.

You also cannot revoke or update the directive after you have lost capacity. The window for changes only exists while you can understand the nature and consequences of the document. Once a healthcare provider determines you lack that capacity, the existing directive stands as your final word.

The Notification Chain

Updating is not just about signing a new document — it is about making sure the old one is removed from circulation. Every copy holder needs to know the old version is revoked.

Your notification checklist:

• Primary proxy and alternate proxy
• Family physician / GP
• Local community health centre
• Whitehorse General Hospital (if they have a copy)
• Close family members
• Insured Health Services (new Notification Card)

Replace the refrigerator note and wallet card with updated versions referencing the new directive's date and current proxy contact information.

Keeping a Revision Log

If you expect to update your directive multiple times — as many people with progressive conditions do — keep a simple log of each version: date executed, proxy named, key changes from the previous version, and who received copies. This log helps your proxy understand how your thinking has evolved, and it protects against confusion if an old copy surfaces after your incapacity.

For revision templates, proxy re-evaluation worksheets, and a structured review schedule tied to the life events that matter most, the Yukon Advance Directive & Living Will Kit includes tools for ongoing directive management.

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