Is a Living Will a Necessity?

Every time you go to the hospital for anything they ask you if you have a Living Will. Here are a few tips to completing one and some reasons why you should have one. First of all, what is a Living Will? A Living Will is a document in which a patient lets their health care providers know their wishes in case they are unable to speak themselves.

These documents let the health care providers know just how far the patient wishes for them to go to try to keep them alive. It lets the health care providers know if they wish to be resuscitated and how many procedures they wish to have done on them if any.

According to the patients wishes this document can be either very broad or very narrow and is a declaration or written statement of the patients wishes in the event of an accident or incapacitation.

This document usually includes if the patient desires to have or not have any of the following done by their health care providers: transfusions, organ transplants, CPR, dialysis, giving of drugs, use of respirators, diagnostic tests, and/or surgery.

If the person has a Living Will this also means that the person's family will not have to decide on these things in the event of their loved one's incapacitation or serious accident.

The Living Will is not something that should be jumped into and written up in a matter of minutes. It should be discussed with the patient's family and doctors and even a pastor if so desired. Since each state has different requirements you will need to research your states terms on a Living Will. If you need help you can have an attorney write one up for you, but most of the time it will cost you to get them to do it.

The patient must specify every one of his/her wishes in the Living Will. If it is not written in it, then the procedure will be done or not done. The Living Will can be revoked at any time by the patient either in writing or verbally. It can also be revoked by a surrogate at any time.

Once you have completed a Living Will make sure to give a copy to all of your health care providers, a couple or trusted family members, and put the original in a safe place. Make sure to leave instructions for your family as to where the original can be found.

Thus, a Living Will is something everyone should be thinking about making. It will save your family a lot of decisions and grief in the event of your incapacitation.

You can find packets containing everything you need for a Living Will at some hospitals or you can go online and fill one out. One such site is www.rocketlawyers.com/documents/living-will. This site helps you with legal questions and helps to complete the Living Will.

Source(s):

www.answers.com/topic/living-will