Understanding Living Wills

Making Informed Choices for Your Future

A living will is a crucial document that outlines your medical preferences when you cannot make decisions for yourself. It guides doctors and caregivers during critical moments, such as when you’re terminally ill, seriously injured or near the end of life. A living will is essential to planning for the future, ensuring that your medical wishes are respected and relieving your loved ones from the burden of making difficult decisions during emotionally charged times.

What is a Living Will?

A living will is a legal document that specifies which medical treatments you do or do not want if you cannot express your wishes. This includes choices about life-sustaining treatments, pain management, organ donation, and other critical care decisions. Unlike other legal documents, a living will specifically addresses scenarios where you cannot make or communicate your medical decisions, such as being in a coma or the late stages of dementia.

Why Everyone Needs a Living Will

Living wills aren’t just for the elderly or those with chronic illnesses. Unexpected medical situations can arise at any age, making it important for every adult to have a living will. By preparing this document, you ensure that your healthcare preferences are known and respected, regardless of your age or health status. This planning ahead can help avoid unnecessary medical interventions that may not align with your values or desired quality of life.

Key Considerations for Your Living Will

When creating a living will, it’s important to reflect on your values and what quality of life means to you. Consider how you feel about independence, life-sustaining treatments, and the circumstances under which you would prefer to receive or decline certain medical interventions. Key considerations might include:

• Resuscitation: Would you want to be resuscitated if your heart stops beating? Your living will can outline your preferences for CPR or other life-saving measures.
• Mechanical Ventilation: If you’re unable to breathe on your own, would you want to be placed on a ventilator? Specify how long you’re willing to remain on such support.
• Nutritional Support: Decisions about tube feeding and hydration are also part of a living will. Would you want to be kept alive through artificial nutrition, and if so, for how long?
• Comfort Care: Living wills also address palliative care, focusing on comfort and quality of life rather than curative treatments. This might include pain management and other measures to ensure comfort during the end stages of life.

Choosing the Right Person for Your Health Care Proxy

In addition to a living will, select a health care proxy or agent. This person will make decisions if you’re incapacitated. Choose someone you trust to act in line with your wishes and values. They should handle the emotional weight of making life-altering decisions. This person should not be part of your medical care team. They must be willing to advocate for your wishes, even if facing disagreement or pressure from others.

Legal Requirements for Living Wills

The legal requirements for living wills vary by state, so it’s important to ensure your document meets local standards. This might involve signing the document in front of witnesses or having it notarized. While you can create a living will on your own, consulting with a lawyer can help ensure that all necessary legal criteria are met and that your document is comprehensive and clear.

Communicating Your Living Will

After completing your living will, share it with key individuals in your life. Provide copies to your doctor, your chosen health care proxy, and close family members. Keeping an easily accessible copy at home and carrying a card that states you have a living will are also good practices. This ensures that your wishes are readily available and can be followed promptly in an emergency.

Reviewing and Updating Your Living Will

Life circumstances and medical advancements can change your preferences over time. It’s important to review your living will regularly. Update it if you receive a new diagnosis or experience a significant change in your health. Consider changes if you undergo a major life event, such as marriage or divorce. Even without these changes, review your living will every few years. This ensures it still aligns with your current values and wishes.

The Role of Living Wills in Comprehensive Health Planning

A living will is part of a broader approach to advance care planning. This may include other documents like a durable power of attorney for health care or a physician’s orders for life-sustaining treatment (POLST). These documents work together to create a comprehensive plan for your future medical care. They help ensure that your wishes are respected in various scenarios.

Living wills empower you to have a say in your medical care even when you cannot speak for yourself.  Reduce the burden on loved ones, provide clear guidance on your preferences and helping prevent conflicts during emotionally charged times. By preparing a living will, you take a significant step toward ensuring that your medical care aligns with your values, providing peace of mind for both you and your loved ones.  Farewellit has products to help plan your own celebration of life and write your living will