A living will is a legal document that outlines your healthcare preferences if you become unable to communicate due to illness, injury, or incapacity. It ensures that your medical wishes are followed when you’re no longer able to make decisions for yourself.
What is a living will?
A living will addresses important decisions, such as:
- Life-Sustaining Treatment: Whether you want to be kept on life support or receive other life-sustaining treatments if your condition is terminal
- Organ Donation: Your wishes regarding organ and tissue donation after death
- End-of-Life Care: The type of care you want in your final days, including pain management
This document takes effect when you’re unable to express your wishes, ensuring that your preferences are respected.
Why do you need a living will?
If you wish to remove uncertainty about your healthcare preferences, especially in emergencies, a living will is useful. This relieves loved ones from having to make difficult decisions on your behalf during emotionally stressful times.
Living wills work alongside your traditional will to cover both financial and healthcare decisions. They can also help ensure you aren’t subjected to unwanted medical procedures. In short, you retain control over your healthcare decisions, even if you can no longer communicate them.
You can add a living will to your estate plan today
Putting in a living will provides clarity for your family and healthcare providers, making a difficult time easier for everyone involved. If you haven’t created one yet, it is not too late to consider one as part of your estate planning.
