1 of 19

Write now Article Tools

Living Will:
A Living Will is a document that details an individual's health care directives. The purpose of the Living Will is for the individual to have written documentation about what their wishes for health care would be, in case they are not able to express this themselves.
Living Wills will generically state, "If I have a terminal illness, have an end-stage condition, or am in a persistent vegetative state" then I do not want any extreme measures taken to keep me alive. There is generally a clause that two physicians must examine the individual to determine that they are, in fact, terminally ill, end-stage, or vegetative.

However, it is best not to leave your Living Will that generic. Be specific about what you do or do not want to have done. For example: "If I am terminally ill, I do not want to have a feeding tube placed to provide me with nutrition." Some people are even more detailed, stating how long they would like to be kept alive before "pulling the plug."
It is difficult to think about what should be done in an end of life condition if you have never been involved in one. Here are key points that most doctors and health care professionals might include in their Living Wills:
Feeding tube placement, when the person is not able to sustain their own nutritional needs *1
IV hydration, when dehydration is a concern
Antibiotic treatment for infections
Pain medication to relieve suffering
Cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) *2
Intubation *3
Ventilation *4
Of these items, the first three are often up for disagreement as to whether they are life sustaining measurements or if they offer comfort at the end of life. That is why it is so important for an individual to write their Living Will specifically, to leave no room for interpretation to the doctors or family members involved.
It is also important to understand that while a Living Will is a legal document, it is not necessarily legally binding. The Living Will is a tool for an individual to use to make everyone aware of what their wishes are. The hope is that when the time comes, those who are making the decisions will follow the individual's wishes. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The person who has been designated to make the health care decisions has the legal right to make whatever decisions they chose. They do not have to follow the Living Will. Therefore, it is important that while an individual is completing their Advance Directives *5, they

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about What is a living will??
We want to hear your view. Write now!