Do you want to be kept alive by artificial means? Do you have strong feelings about some medications? How do you feel about breathing tubes? Do you want to be in charge of your health, or are you willing to turn all decisions over to your children or other family members? Those are all important questions, and you should be in charge of the answers. None of us wants to think about the end of our lives. It’s certainly easier to ignore the subject. But if you want to be in control, you should leave written instructions. In addition to your Last Will and Testament, a living will accomplishes part of that. It informs medical professionals of whether or not you wish to undergo CPR Fibrillation, should your heart stop beating. It tells the doctor whether or not you want breathing tubes or any extra measures taken to save your life and under what circumstances.
Other medical decisions that you should direct include feeding and hydration. Do you remember the Terry Shiavo case in Florida years ago? Her husband and parents fought over whether she should be fed and hydrated intravenously after she had been in a vegetative state for some period of time. Her husband ultimately won and the tubes were removed. Terry died not too long after that. I’m not discussing the right or wrong of the decision – only that if you were in her place, what would you want the people in charge to do for or about you? A living will can contain that information and your choice.
What about dialysis? If you were unable to state your preference for any reason and needed dialysis to survive, who or what would decide? What kind of pain management would you want? You don’t have any idea how a particular physician feels about pain killers. Suppose you were in an auto accident and in a coma. They say people in comas can often feel pain and know what is being said around them, even when they are unable to communicate. The doctor in charge could read your Living Will and know exactly how you feel about particular medications. That Living Will can also list medications to which you are allergic.
Do you want to be resuscitated, no matter what? Or if the medical professionals in charge believe that your quality of life has gone, would you prefer not to be intubated or be kept alive by any other means? The decision should be yours and yours alone.
An attorney can help you draw up the Living Will that will speak for you when you cannot speak for yourself. The written legal document will spell out exactly what you want and don’t want.
There are forms available on the Internet to create a Living Will but to be certain your wishes are followed, you may want to retain an attorney to help you draw up the document, so that you control your own destiny. That document will speak for you when you cannot speak for yourself. Should you, for some reason, not want an attorney to help, you need to get two unrelated people to sign the Living Will you make for yourself in front of a notary who will then notarize it. You must take it to the courthouse to be registered. A copy should be kept by you and another by someone you trust and one to your personal physician.
Your Living Will should contain the name of the person who has your power of attorney regarding your health care. Be very certain that the person you name will follow your wishes and won’t be swayed by the opinions and wishes of others. Also, be sure that person is willing.
Plan now so you get the care you want, not what others may want for you. Be specific in your Living Will.
