(Also known as an Advance Medical Directive)

What it is:

A living will provides your health care agent and doctors with guidance about certain medical treatments. If you feel strongly about right to die issues or about having certain life saving treatments (such as feeding tubes, resuscitation or renal dialysis) this document will allow you to state your desire for the various treatment options, including whether you want to be kept alive and under what conditions. While living wills are not legally binding, they are a wonderful tool to provide guidance to your Health Care Agent about your wishes for treatment.

The problems a living will avoids:

• Your end-of-life or health care treatment wishes are not honored or carried out
• Your loved ones are left making difficult end-of-life or health care treatment decisions without your direction or guidance
• Confusion and strife about these decisions
• Potential court involvement (and expense) to make end-of-life or health care treatment decisions

How a living will protects you:

A living will is your opportunity to make your wishes known and ensure that they are respected if you are hospitalized with a fatal disease or are incapacitated for any reason. You will avoid the risk of receiving or being denied any treatment that goes against your wishes. Providing your agent with clear direction about your desires minimizes or takes away potentially excruciating decisions that your health care agent (usually a loved one) may otherwise be required to make.