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Health Corner

Guide Your Care With A Living Will

You’ve been in an accident, and you’re in a coma. Who’s going to make medical decisions for you? How can you be sure they’ll be the decisions you’d want. How can you prevent family conflicts about your care?

An advance directive can help prevent those problems. Advance directives ar designed to guide your medical treatment if you become unable to communicate your preferences. The two basic types of advance directives are:

You can write both documents so that the living will can guide your proxy.

How do you decide what medical care you would want to have under different circumstances? Living wills usually deal with conditions such as en-of-life care, including artificial life support. It’s also a good idea to talk through them with your attorney and your clergy.

It may seem scary, but it’s important to discuss your living will with your family members so that they have a clear understanding of your wishes. Encourage others in your family to write and discuss their advance directives, too.

You may find it helpful to use a prepared for your advance directives. You can find state-specific forms online. For more information on advance directives, go to the American Hospital Association web site at www.putitinwriting.org.

Once you’ve created an advance directive, give copies to your proxy, doctor, and whomever else you think should know you’re wishes. Review your advance directive regularly. Update it if you choices change or if you move to another state since rules differ from state to state.

Resource: HealthQuest newsletter