|
A Living Will is a legal document in which a person expresses in advance his or her wishes concerning the use of artificial life support, to be referred to should the person be unable to communicate such wishes at the end of life. A living will usually goes into effect only when two physicians certify that a patient is unable to make medical decisions and that the patient's medical circumstances are within the guidelines specified by the State's living-will law.
Typically, living wills are used to direct loved ones and doctors to discontinue life-sustaining measures such as intravenous feeding, mechanical respirators, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation that the patient would reject were he or she able to do so.
Without clear and convincing evidence of a person's wishes (such as a Living Will), life support may be continued indefinitely because of hospital policies, fear of liability, or doctors' convictions, even if the family believes that the patient's wishes would be otherwise.
Living Wills are often used in conjunction with a health-care proxy, which authorizes a previously chosen person to make health-care decisions in the event of incapacity. Most states have legislation authorizing Living Wills.
The Living Will Document covers matters such as:
- Personal Information
- Living Will Wishes
- Medical Power of Attorney
- Organ Donation Information
- and more...
View a sample Living Will (Please note this is only a partial sample)
SmartFormz.com is currently offering this document for $11 USD. Upon purchase you will be able to download the Living Will in rich text format (rtf) this will allow you to edit or format it to your specific needs in your favorite word processor.
For a Financial Power of Attorney please visit our Power of Attorney.
| 
