Final answer:
A Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order dictates that medical personnel should not perform CPR or other lifesaving measures if a patient's heart stops or they stop breathing, respecting their advance directive wishes.
Step-by-step explanation:
An advance directive is a written legal document that details specific interventions a person wants or does not want in case they become incapacitated. An advanced directive to not receive treatment if the heart or breathing stops is commonly known as a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. This order instructs medical personnel not to perform CPR or other lifesaving procedures if a patient's heart stops or they stop breathing. The purpose of a DNR is to respect the patient's wishes to decline life-prolonging measures when they feel that their quality of life would not be improved by such interventions. This concept is part of a larger conversation about the right to die with dignity and includes the use of living wills, hospice care, and health care proxies, all meant to ensure that an individual's end-of-life wishes are honored.