The Living Will: Everything You Need To Know

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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
1:54 who should consider a living will


A living will is a legal document that sets out your wishes regarding medical treatment. You can set out what you want to happen in the event that you become really sick and can't communicate with your doctors about the care you want or don't want. This can be if you are brain dead, in a coma or otherwise unable to communicate your treatment wishes on your own.
You should make a living will if something could happen that would result in permanent incapacitation and removal of all brain function, and you don't want to remain on life support systems indefinitely.
A Living will may sometimes appoint a person to make decisions on your behalf, but, in this case, another legal document is needed called the “Health care Power of Attorney”. The person making the living will can choose from several options, including, Refusal of treatment, or Refusal of life-sustaining treatment, known as “terminal care”.
If you have a living will, it does not mean that those wishes are legally binding. It also doesn't mean that doctors are obligated to follow those wishes in every case. Most of the times, it's up to them on how they interpret your wishes based on the circumstances and their own professional judgment. The purpose of having this document is to help clarify what kind of medical treatment you would want as opposed to leaving everything up in the air and having someone else decide what may feel best at the time, which could potentially be wrong.
So, when does a living will get activated? A living will is activated only when there is no hope of recovery. This can be if you are brain dead, in a coma or otherwise unable to communicate your treatment wishes on your own.
Who should consider a living will?
Any adult can make a living will at any point in their life, but it’s especially important for patients living with terminal illness or has been hospitalized many times, and also patients who will undergo dangerous surgeries. In these situations, A living will allows a patient to have some control over the medical care they will receive, if they aren't able to communicate their preferences at that time.
In some places, it is very hard and complex to create an effective living will, so, it’s generally advised to seek legal counsel from a qualified attorney who can walk you through the process and ensure the document is legally sound.