The possibility of becoming terminally ill or debilitated is not something that is easy to ingest. A lot of people simply choose to brush it off as an improbable event. However, this risk shouldn’t be considered as a matter that is worth ignoring.
You should be prepared in such circumstances as early as possible. One of the valuable ways you could do that is through living wills for health care.
Living wills are legal documents that contain a person’s specific wishes with regard to health care. These legally binding papers take effect in the event of severe illness and incapacity to convey preferences and make decisions about medical treatment and other life-sustaining measures.
The Triggering Circumstances
There are basically two broad situations in which advance directives in a living will may be valid: terminal illness, and permanent disability.
Terminal Illness
A terminal illness is a condition wherein death is anticipated within a fairly short span of time. More often than not, people dislike the idea of medical treatment for the sole purpose of sustaining life without restoring its quality.
While some families would deem this as acceptable, others simply consider it as prolonging the pain and suffering. Most living wills for health care deal with this kind of situation. Also, a lot of doctors would unhesitatingly respect the desires conveyed in the living will with regard to terminal care.
If you happen to be the type of person who prefers a shorter yet more comfortable life in the face of a terminal illness, you can certainly demand for it in your living will. So in case you become incapacitated and unable to communicate, your attending physicians and your family will no longer assume what you would have wanted since you’ve already outlined it for them.
Permanent Disability
Regrettably, some living wills fall short in addressing another main concern – permanent disability. It is a lot more difficult to arrive at any consensus as regards to this condition for two primary reasons.
First, the attending physicians and the health team may attempt to put in their own sets of values to a patient’s care. While they may have the same opinion about withholding measures to sustain life in the case of a terminal illness, they may strongly contest the same action in patients with permanent disability.
The second reason is the existence of a wide assortment of chronic impairments. Because of this, people usually argue as regards to what constitutes an unbearable condition.
For instance, some may be terrified of a stroke that could result in the inability to communicate, while others may be scared of impaired mental capacity or permanent dependence. Simply said, the circumstances that could activate the application of a living will to permanent disability may vary on a case-to-case basis.
Needless to say, you – as the creator the living will – must determine the triggering circumstances. These conditions should be defined as explicitly as possible with reference to three main factors: type, severity, and irreversibility or permanence.
Terms like “impaired communication” or “loss of dignity” should be avoided since they may have different interpretations to different people.
Living wills for health care can indeed save the patient and his/her family a great deal of pain. They somehow offer answers that are often too difficult to decide on.
Aside from that, these legal documents provide a guarantee that the patient’s wishes are implemented in the event of such painful and upsetting circumstances.
Living Wills
Stop wondering about what advance directives and living wills can do for you. Instead, seek out the answers for the very obvious questions that have been bugging you for so long now. And there’s no better way to start this quest than with good old definitions. Importance of Advance Directives
What are Advance Directives and Living Wills?
An advance directive instructs your attending physician about the type of care/treatment you would like to receive if you ever become unable to formulate decisions for yourself. Hospital personnel may talk to you about this stuff.
Of course, you would certainly be approached with this kind of suggestion while you’re still well and able; otherwise your eligibility of making an advance directive would be forfeited by incapacitation, mental illness or terminal disease.
Advance directives may come in various forms. The laws that regulate them are different in every state. Therefore, you need to be conscious of the laws in the state you live in.
An advance directive, on the other hand, is a form of advance directive. This legally binding document describes the treatment or life-support measures you intend to receive in the untoward event of a terminal illness or irreversible coma.
A living will may or may not let you appoint another person to decide on your behalf. The presence of this option is normally based on state-specific laws.
Why are they important?
By making advance directives and living wills as early as possible, you are expressing you preferences with regard to medical treatment before you are faced with a severe injury or disease. Doing so will spare your family and friends the pressure of deciding what is really best for you. More often than not, the legal age qualified to make these documents is 18 years old.
Seriously ill people are more likely to draw up these legal documents in advance. For instance, a person with a terminal cancer may write her wish not to be hooked to a respirator in case of a respiratory arrest. This act can lessen the patient’s suffering, promote his or her peace of mind, and increase control over his or her death.
Then again, even if you’re still in an excellent health condition, you may want to think about making your own advance directive. Who knows for sure? You may encounter a terrible accident or unexpectedly collapse on your way to work. If you have thought of these possibilities and have decided to do the right thing, then you can rest assured that your wishes will be respected and implemented by your health care provider.
How to make them?
An advance directive and living will don’t necessarily have to be complex legal documents. They can simply be short statements concerning your health care preferences in case your ability to communicate is gone. Keep in mind that any request you write down should conform to the laws of your state.
You can write these documents in a number of ways. First is by using a form that supplied by your physician. You may also put your requests in writing all by yourself. Aside from that, you also have the option to ask for the appropriate form from the health care department of your state.
With the technology of the modern world, you may even get hold of free online living will forms. Some web sites also sell software packages for all types of legal documents.
Then again, if you want to do it the traditional way, then you can confer with a lawyer who handles advance directives and living wills.