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Jasper L. Edwards
Firstly, what is a
living will? A living will is quite different from a traditional
will. It is actually a directive for your
healthcare in the event you become incapacitated. It is intended to state your wishes if
you are ever in a vegetative state or if you develop a terminal illness. Your doctors will
refer to the document to establish what kind of care and intervention you want
done. For instance,  most terminally ill patients have a
do not resuscitate (DNR) clause in their living will. On the other hand, you may want
resuscitated. Some prefer that once they are beyond medical help, that doctors no
longer intervene. Others refuse any form of CPR or other resuscitation measures
performed on them.
The good thing about a
living will
form is that you can make these kinds
of decisions ahead of time. The world we live in today is highly unpredictable. As a result,
it’s important that we try to make a living will before it’s too late. It's the only way your
wishes can be respected in case you don’t have the ability to communicate. In addition, a
living will enables your loved ones to honor your wishes in case there is a serious medical
emergency. This will help to alleviate some of their guilt depending on any decisions
they make.
Reasons why you should draft a living will
It is unfortunate, but there might
come a time when you are not able to speak for yourself. It could be the result of an
incapacitating disease or a terrible accident.
Being incapacitated means that you
won’t be able to make any decisions or enter into a legal contract. As a result, your wishes
won’t be vocalized adequately. A huge number of people have ended up in such a state because
of dementia or Alzheimers Disease. In addition, people in coma are still alive but they
cannot enter into legal contracts. This is one of the main reasons why you should prepare a
living will. It will clearly outline your wishes in case you end up in such a
state.
If you do not have a living will, you
could leave your loved ones to deal with some very difficult situations. If they don’t know
what to do, they could end up feeling guilty their whole lives.
A living will cannot cover every
possible scenario. As a result, you should consider bestowing your health
care proxy with a medical power of
attorney. He or she will interpret your wishes regarding various aspects of your care that
are not described in your living will. If you've read down to this point, you may want to
take a look at a Living Will
form.
RESOURCE BOX
This
site provides detailed information on
Free Wills, How to Write a Will, Last Will And Testament, Living Wills and
more.
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