A living will is an advance directive for health care, and, along with a health care power of attorney, should be part of any comprehensive estate plan. It is important to plan ahead for the possibility of incapacity before passing away, but many people fail to do so.
While it is not a pleasant subject, you should consider the period of time that will precede your death. During this interim there may be some medical decisions that have to be made and you may not be capable of making these decisions yourself.
This is why advance directives are important.
A living will is used to state your choices with regard to the use of artificial hydration and nutrition, ventilators, and other life-sustaining procedures when you are in a terminable condition.
Opinions vary widely about being kept alive indefinitely through the utilization of artificial means. You should state your own wishes in your living will. Your health care power of attorney will allow someone you have designated to act in your place to decide your level of care according to your express wishes.
When you do this you are doing what you can to ensure the outcome that you would prefer. You are also avoiding potential disagreements among family members who may have differing opinions about your wishes for the level of care you would prefer.
A reputable legal website recently conducted a survey that revealed some startling results. 61% of the adults who responded said that they didn't have a living will.
If you are among them you would do well to take action to put your advance health care directives in place as soon as possible. If you live in the Reno-Sparks area and you are unsure about how to proceed don't hesitate to contact our firm to request a free consultation.
