Many people want a "living will" (formally known as an Advance Directive or Directive to Physicians and Family Members) to make sure that their wishes for health care are followed in case they become unable to communicate their wishes. In most cases, people with living wills are trying to avoid unnecessary, painful, and expensive procedures that do nothing to enhance quality of life and only delay an inevitable death.
In a living will, you can say whether you want "life-prolonging procedures," such as CPR, CT scans, dialysis, or other invasive processes after a doctor has certified that your condition is terminal, or that you are near death. Separately, you can say whether you want food and water administered to you even if you don't want any medical procedures performed.
In addition to stating your wishes in these matters, you should also name someone who will be authorized to make decisions not anticipated in your living will if you are unable to do so. Your health-care agent should be prepared to make the decision, for example, to withdraw food and water, if it comes to that. You should also identify your primary care physician.
In a living will, you can say whether you want "life-prolonging procedures," such as CPR, CT scans, dialysis, or other invasive processes after a doctor has certified that your condition is terminal, or that you are near death. Separately, you can say whether you want food and water administered to you even if you don't want any medical procedures performed.
In addition to stating your wishes in these matters, you should also name someone who will be authorized to make decisions not anticipated in your living will if you are unable to do so. Your health-care agent should be prepared to make the decision, for example, to withdraw food and water, if it comes to that. You should also identify your primary care physician.
Other Decisions That Should Be Included in a Living Will
In addition to the health-care decisions described above, you should also include answers to the following:
- Do you want to donate your body, organs, or tissue?
- Have you made burial or cremation arrangements? If so, what are they? If not, do you want your agent to make these decisions?
- Do you want an autopsy or not, or do you want your agent to make this decision for you?