Many people have certainly heard about living will, but not all of them are familiar about what it is all about. It may be true that living will may not be a necessity, but it is very important. There are many things you should know about it:
Many people have certainly heard about living will, but not all of them are familiar about what it is all about. Perhaps your doctor has asked you if you have one. The hospital and your long-term care facility may have also asked if you have it. It may be true that living will may not be a necessity, but it is very important. There are many things you should know about it. Here are those.
A living will is basically a valid and legal document specifying life-sustaining treatments that a person does or does not want to undergo in case he/ she becomes unable to speak up or make decisions for himself/ herself. Such could include the use of medical devices like breathing machines (ventilators), feeding tubes, dialysis, medications, and several other treatments that could be started in case that person gets into life-threatening conditions (basically there should be a need to resuscitate).
You may have heard about it but it could also take some other names. Many doctors, healthcare providers, and lawyers also call living will as advance directive, medical declaration, and medical directive. Some people prefer to cal it healthcare declaration. In some cases, living will also refers to healthcare directive. Its is exactly that---a directive a person implements so that doctors and healthcare professionals would know what and what not to do in the event of any life-threatening instance when that person is incapacitated or left unconscious like in a coma.
The living will has the power to decrease arguments in case the family of an individual meets uncertainty in making important medical decisions. Some people just have specific medical preferences. You probably have heard about many medical dilemmas wherein the family gets a tough time deciding for an individual who suddenly gets into coma. A person could be healthy or terminally sick upon writing of a living will. Many dying people decide to write a living will so that they would get to make advanced decisions in case their conditions get worse. Healthy individuals have it so that the burden in deciding would not have to be imposed to their families in case they meet life altering and threatening events.
There is a big difference between a living will and a DNR or Do Not Resuscitate order. In most cases, doctors and medical attendants would automatically administer any life-sustaining procedure or treatment unless the doctor gives a DNR order. Certain treatments that are unwanted by an individual could certainly and significantly lower unnecessary medical costs. This is one of the minor reasons why many people prefer to have a living will.
Lastly, a living will should be written and administered by a lawyer. The individual gets to write and make the terms and options. But there should always be legal assistance. The attorney is the only person given the legal power to file and make valid any living will. Different nations and varying states could also have different laws regarding any living will.
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