Living Wills

By Author: ellen
Total Articles: 2
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Everyone should have a Living Will. With a Living Will you specify how you
wish to be treated in case you are unable to make your own wishes known. Do
you want to be kept on life support? Who do you want making that decision if you
are unable to communicate? Questions like these are addressed in a living will so
your family or the hospital does not make those decisions on your behalf.

When you do select someone to act on your behalf, they must meet the legal
criteria in your state, be willing to speak up for you, be able to act on your
preferences and not those of others, and be willing to make the hard decisions.
They should also be someone you trust without hesitation who can also handle the
conflicting opinions that usually occur between family members.

When you create a Living Will you ensure that your desires will be carried out
without court involvement that can be costly and stressful for your family. If you
do become incapacitated and you do not have a Living Will, your family or your
Doctors must bear the responsibility of deciding what ...
... should happen to you.

It is important that you set up the Living Will properly, as different states
have different laws in dealing with such matters. A Living Will can be used
in conjunction with a Health Care Power of Attorney to provide you with an
Advanced Health Care Directive.

However sad, an example of when a Living Will would be used is if you become
brain dead, you can state in your Living Will that you wish to receive or not to
receive life support. A Living Will provides your medical team with instructions
for how to carry out your wishes should you become incapacitated. There is a nice
web site where you can receive a lot of good information to learn about Living
Wills at www.livingwills4u.com Remember, An Advanced Health Care Directive including a Living Wills and a
Health Care Power of Attorney are very important legal document that an attorney
should always review.