Living wills provide people the means to dictate how the medical world approaches their life, whether it is in crisis or not. Without directives from a living will, healthcare professionals have a default procedure to fall back on that may not fit with a person’s wishes.
This type of agency people have over their preferences may sound like something everyone already has, but according to the American Association of Retired Persons, less than 40% of people have a living will.
People may think a living will only applies to catastrophic situations like when a person becomes comatose. As the Mayo Clinic details, there are a number of end-of-life care decisions for people to consider.
Some include assistance when a body’s systems fail. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, mechanical ventilation and tube feeding are all examples of the medical system making up for physical failures. A person may or may not want these and a living will helps medical professionals know how to approach his or her unique situation.
Do not resuscitate or intubate orders do not require a living will.
People may also choose how the healthcare system deals with their body after dying. Organ and tissue donation may help others and establishing that preference in a living will informs medical professionals to employ life-sustaining treatments while organ donation occurs.
Finally, people may state their preference of whether the hospital should prepare and donate their body for scientific study rather than a burial.
Advanced directives are best when they are clear and organized. Having multiple copies worded in a way that is understandable and legally binding may help ensure whatever preferences a person may have.
