A living will is a written, legal document that explains your wishes regarding medical treatment, end-of-life procedures, pain management and organ donation. These decisions vary greatly from one person to another. It comes down to your values and can be complicated.
Below is a list of questions to ask yourself, a trusted healthcare professional or loved ones:
1. Is there a particular person you trust to be in charge of making healthcare decisions for you? If this person dies or becomes unavailable, is there someone else you want to list as a successor for this role as your healthcare agent under a healthcare power of attorney?
2. Do you want to donate your organs to someone in immediate need of a transplant and/or to research? This needs to be spelled out carefully in your living will so that a healthcare agent understands exactly how to proceed.
3. Are there certain pain medications you want administered and certain types withheld?
4. Do you want to have someone consent on your behalf to dialysis and how long would you want this remedy to take place? Dialysis removes wastes from your body and manages fluid levels if your kidneys no longer function.
5. Do you want to die at home if possible?
6. Are there any medical procedures, types of surgeries, or medication that you do not want?
Then the big issues of end-of-life saving measures need to be carefully considered. Most living wills indicate your preferences for the following questions:
1. Do you want to be resuscitated if you stop breathing? This is typically done by cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and it attempts to restart your heart. They can also use an electric device to shock and restimulate the heart.
2. Do you want to be put on a ventilator for breathing? If so, how long?
3. Do you want to be tube fed? If so, for how long? Tube feeding supplies the body with nutrients intravenously or directly to the stomach.
4. Do you want food and/or water withheld at any point?
Thinking carefully about these questions prior to meeting with your estate planning attorney may be helpful. Often, it is difficult to make these decisions on the spot in an attorney’s office. If you would like to discuss these issues in more depth and hear our attorneys’ recommendations, you can schedule a consultation with our knowledgeable and experienced estate planning attorneys. You can schedule an appointment by calling us at (443) 470-3599 or emailing us at office@stoufferlegal.com.
