The Do's and Don'ts After a Car Accident

Planning For Your Incapacity: Why A Living Will Matters

19 January 2019

Yvonne Russell

While you may have a will written that provides instructions on what to do with your assets when you pass, a living will is something else entirely. Also called an advanced directive, your living will gives explicit instructions on what to do in the event you are incapacitated. If you are concerned about the decisions that would be made in the event you couldn't speak for yourself, a living will can be written that lets everyone know what you want if you are sick and on life support. This is beneficial if you don't want anyone making decisions for you or you aren't sure how well your health care proxy will be able to manage the job.

Life Saving Measures

Your living will can state whether you want comfort care or all life saving measures in the event you are critically ill. If you have a terminal illness that you haven't shared with your loved ones, you can write a living will that specifies what to do in the event you can't speak for yourself. For example, if you have terminal lung cancer and don't want to be revived if you have a heart attack, treatment providers will follow these instructions if your living will is made available. 

When You Want Comfort Only

Some families will do anything they can to keep a loved one alive, including intrusive medical procedures that don't offer much hope. If you know that you want comfort care only if you become ill, you can make these wishes clear. This is beneficial for people who know that their health is unlikely to improve and takes the decision out of your loved ones hands. Comfort care is not care that sustains life, but is care that manages pain and keeps you more comfortable.

Be As Specific As You Want

Your living will can be as specific as you want it to. If you don't want certain people to visit you if you are incapacitated, you can write this in. When you want control over what happens to you in the event you aren't going to recover, you have the option when you write a living will. 

It's important to let loved ones know that you have a living will. If you are suddenly incapacitated and your living will is not discovered, all of your planning won't matter. Make sure that people in your life know you have created a living will so that your wishes are clear. Contact a legal firm, like Wright Law Offices, PLLC, for more help.

Share