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Advance Medical Directives: The
Living Will
Technically, living will is just a part of advance directives that any
person could take to describe and specify medical treatment preferences
in case of end-of-life occurrences. Such end-of-life events could occur
at any age. In general, adults need a living will more if they want to
decide any medical procedure or treatment to take before the need
arises.
To simply put it, a living will is describing preferences with regards
to any treatment in case a person is subjected to any serious illness
or accident. The legal document would speak for that person in the
moment he becomes practically unable to express or speak for himself,
like in the case of a coma. As such, a living will is not just for
adults, as mentioned. Legally, any person who is over the age of 18
years could appropriately prepare living will and other legal advance
directives.
In definition, a living will, and all other legal advance directives,
is a written instruction about a person’s specific medical care
preferences and choices. If you make one, your family and your doctor
would automatically consult the document in case you become unable to
decide for yourself regarding significant medical treatments and
procedures. Take note that the document could be drafted and prepared
by you, but there should be legal or lawyer’s assistance and presence
to make it valid and binding. It may not be as important as a will or a
living trust, but more and more people nowadays are deciding to have
one, with regards to high medical costs.
Any living will could also include a medical POA or Power of Attorney
and a DNR or Do Not Resuscitate order. Some people prefer or miss out
unintentionally to include these two. In many cases, inclusion of any
of the two has proven to be advantageous to all concerned parties.
The medical power of attorney of medical POA is a document (legal) that
designates an individual (also called a healthcare proxy or agent) to
carry over or make important medical decision in case the person
getting the medical POA becomes unable to make that decision. This is
also called by some as the durable power of attorney for healthcare.
Be informed that medical POA is very different from the usual power or
attorney that is used to authorize any lawyer to takeover financial
transactions for a client in specific cases. Many living will are now
including medical POA, especially when people owning the documents aim
to spare their family from making difficult and heart-breaking medical
decisions in the future.
On the other hand, the DNR order or Do Not Resuscitate order is a
special request by a person not to take any cardiopulmonary
resuscitation if the heart suddenly stops beating or breathing is
ceased. A living will could or could not include a DNR order. The DNR
order could also stand alone in itself and may not need any living will
or advance directive to be effective and implemented. Thus, any legal
procedure could be waived.
A person’s medical doctor could indicate a DNR order in his medical
chart (of course upon the wish or request of that person).
Articles
The
Benefits Of A Living Will: A Rundown
What is a Living Will?
Living Will: An
Overview
Differences
of a Living Will and Trust
What
People Should Know About Living Will
What
is the Difference Between a Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney?
Guidelines
In Making A Living Will
The
Fundamentals Of A Living Will
Selecting
your Health Care Proxies in Living Wills
More Than Just a
Living Will
Steps to
Creating a Living Will
Living
Will: Planning for End-of-Life Issues
Frequently
Asked Questions about Living Will
What is
the Purpose of a Living Will?
Organ
Donation on Your Living Will
Tips for Living
Will Creation
Contents Of A
Living Will
How to
Create Your Own Living Will
Living
Will Forms: How To Deal With Them
Specific
Medical Treatments Involved in Living Will
Difference
between a Living Will, a Will, and a Living Trust
When is a
Living Will Effective?
The
Benefits of Using a Living Will Software
A Living Will?
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