What is a living will?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:Simply, a living will is a document that explains which medical treatments you want and don't want if you have a life-threatening illness or are too sick to voice your own wishes.
The words "living will" once evoked about as much emotion as "life insurance" did not long ago. But that was before a woman named Terri Schiavo captured the country's attention in 2005.
You probably remember her story. It was in all the headlines for quite a while. Terri was only 41, but she lived in what several doctors believed was an unresponsive "vegetative state" with no hope of recovery after experiencing heart failure 15 years before. Her husband maintained that Terri had once told him she wouldn't want to live under such circumstances, and he took legal measures to have her feeding tube removed, which would have eventually brought about her death.
Schiavo's parents objected, saying that she wasn't unresponsive, could recover, and had never expressed the wishes that her husband claimed. In any event, she had left no written instructions. The hospital removed and reinserted her feeding tube twice, while legal battles ensued. In the end, the law sided with the husband.
Had Schiavo made a living will—not something many 26-year-olds do, admittedly—the whole messy affair may have been avoided. The media exposure had hundreds of thousands of people gasping, "That could be me!" and living wills became a vogue subject, even among people younger than 40.
A pre-Schiavo survey found that only 20% of Americans actually had a living will, although that figure is likely higher now—and it's at least double that among Americans older than 70.
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Simply, a living will is a document that explains which medical treatments you want and don't want if you have a life-threatening illness or are too sick to voice your own wishes. The words "living will" once evoked about as much emotion as "life... More -
Healthwise answered:A living will, also called a treatment directive, is a type of advance directive that documents personal wishes about end-of-life medical treatment in case decision-making or communication abilities are lost. A living will specifies the conditions under which certain kinds of treatment or life-support measures would or would not be wanted.
A living will can be changed or revoked at any time and will not take effect until a person is no longer able to make or communicate decisions. Copies of living wills should be given to and discussed with a person's health professional and family members.
Although living wills can be written without the help of an attorney, legal advice may be useful. This is especially true for people who live in states where living wills are not recognized or the laws governing them are unclear. Many hospitals and nursing homes provide living will forms that comply with state-specific requirements.
A living will, also called a treatment directive, is a type of advance directive that documents personal wishes about end-of-life medical treatment in case decision-making or communication abilities are lost. A living will specifies the conditions... More -
Dr. Kathleen Handal answered:Too often people confuse living wills with their personal wills, which describe how they want their assets distributed when they die. They’re completely different documents. A living will describes, when you are unable to do so, what type of medical and life-sustaining treatment you expect if you’re terminally ill or have been injured and your prognosis is poor. What efforts do you want the medical team to take to prolong your life? That’s the main question this document answers. In most cases, you don’t need a lawyer to prepare a living will. Some hospitals and physicians provide information on how to prepare a living will. Or you can download a form off the web. Most states require someone to witness your signature. This document does not appoint someone to act on your behalf. That’s where the medical power of attorney steps in.
Too often people confuse living wills with their personal wills, which describe how they want their assets distributed when they die. They’re completely different documents. A living will describes, when you are unable to do so, what... More -
Dr. Nimesh Nagarsheth of The Mount Sinai Medical Center answered:A living will is a legal document that specifies treatments that you would wish to have if faced with a life-threatening or terminal illness. The Institute of Medicine and National Institutes of Health have brief descriptions with informative links to other sites that can provide guidance in preparing these documents and several of these sites offer state-specific forms for advanced directives and living wills, such as the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.
A living will is a legal document that specifies treatments that you would wish to have if faced with a life-threatening or terminal illness. The Institute of Medicine and National Institutes of Health have brief descriptions with... More -
MyDirectives answered:A living will is a type of advance medical directive in which a person documents his or her wishes about medical treatment should he or she be unable to make and communicate medical treatment decisions, or should he or she be determined by a court to be incompetent. It may also be called a directive to physicians and family, healthcare declaration, or medical directive.
Remember, a living will only takes effect when the patient is determined by a physician to be terminally or irreversibly ill (as a result of injury or disease, and as defined in law) and the patient lacks decision-making capacity. As long as a terminally or irreversibly ill patient is able to make decisions and communicate with his or her physician, the living will is not active.A living will is a type of advance medical directive in which a person documents his or her wishes about medical treatment should he or she be unable to make and communicate medical treatment decisions, or should he or she be determined by a... More
