Why make a living Will?
Establishing a living will is a critical way to guarantee that your desires are honored in case you become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for yourself. A living will enables you to choose an individual to make medical choices on your behalf, as well as determine which treatments you would want or not receive. This can be a hugely consequential manner of preserving your autonomy and upholding your dignity if there is ever an intense sickness or injury.
There are many reasons why someone might want to make a living will. For example, if you have strong religious beliefs about end-of-life care, or if you simply want to be sure that your wishes will be respected if you can no longer communicate them yourself. Whatever your reasons, making a living will is an important step in ensuring that your wishes are carried out.
If you become incapacitated and can no longer make decisions for yourself, a living will allows you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf. This can be an incredibly important way to protect your rights and your dignity in the event of a serious illness or injury. You can specify what kind of treatment you do or do not want to receive, and this can be an important way to ensure that your wishes are respected.
While making a living will is an important way to protect your rights and ensure that your wishes are respected, it is important to remember that a living will is not a substitute for a durable power of attorney for healthcare. A durable power of attorney for healthcare allows you to appoint someone to make medical decisions on your behalf even if you are still able to make those decisions yourself. If you become incapacitated and can no longer make decisions for yourself, a living will does not take effect until after two doctors have determined that you are unable to make your own decisions. As such, it is important to have both a living will and a durable power of attorney for healthcare in place in order to ensure that your wishes are carried out regardless of your mental state.
