What Is A Living Will?
A living will , also known as a health care directive or an advanced directive , is a legal document that allows you to state your choices about medical treatment and care if you become unable to make decisions for yourself.
However, it's important to understand that a living will is not the same as a will or other estate planning documents.
A living will describes the kind of medical treatments or procedures you would want, or not want, in the event that you have been diagnosed with an incapacitating condition. It lets others know how far to go in attempting to keep you alive through extraordinary means if that becomes necessary. If someone else makes decisions for you—such as when the health care power of attorney has been executed—this person should follow any instructions given in your living will unless those instructions conflict with state laws governing end-of-life care (if there are any).
Any adult in sound mind can create a living will.
However, a living will does not appoint anyone as your agent or proxy (a person who can make decisions on your behalf). It also does not appoint anyone as guardian of your estate or personal representative of your estate in case of death. If you want someone to make decisions for you if you are unable to do so, then it's important that this person also has a valid medical power of attorney for health care decisions. You may want such an attorney in order to name someone other than yourself as the decision maker when making medical choices—for example, if there are multiple family members who might disagree over what should be done when one member is incapacitated and unable to speak out loud.
A living will is most useful when it refers to specific circumstances, and even specific treatments.
Living wills are also legal documents that state your wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment and/or organ donation if you became unable to express them. It's important to realize that a living will is not a substitute for an advance directive, which can also be used by an agent when the person becomes incapacitated. A living will can be used to make decisions about life-sustaining treatment, such as whether or not you want to receive artificial nutrition and hydration following a terminal illness or severe brain injury; it can also be used by your agent (if you have one) if your condition prevents you from communicating.
A living will can't tell doctors how much pain medication they should provide nor does it guarantee them any rights over treatment decisions in the event of incapacity—but it does help clarify what sort of treatment you want your loved ones and doctors alike to honor when certain conditions arise.
In short, creating a living will is a way to ensure that your wishes are carried out no matter what happens. It can take time to fill out a living will, and it can be an emotional process. However, in the end it gives you peace of mind, knowing that even if you become incapacitated, your desires will still be honored. In addition, having this information written down ahead of time makes things easier for your loved ones during an already difficult time.
We hope that this article has helped shed light on what a living will is and why it’s important to have one in place!








