Musings of a Physio Student

rightatrium:

A living will describes your medical treatment if you are in an end-of-life situation. It discloses your wishes if you are unable to communicate. It’s a general directive for resuscitation and life support machines. A living will is not just for the elderly. A living will is for all people 18 and over who wish to plan for the unexpected.

The purpose of a living will is to give your loved ones an idea  of your feelings, so it’s used as a guide. Life support machines may ease pain and give you comfort. Resuscitation may give you a chance to live longer, but the quality of life could be limited. Other complications may happen, making decisions difficult for your loved ones. A living will without any other directives is not sufficient in seeing that your wishes are carried out.

The living will is the first step in planning for the unexpected. It does not appoint anyone to make decisions for you, so you need a power of attorney (POA) for your medical decisions. The power of attorney will make decisions on issues that are not clear. The person who does this should be someone you trust. Have a “Do Not Resuscitate” order put in your medical charts. This directive tells doctors not to use CPR if your heart stops or you stop breathing, if you are in an end-of-life situation. Make sure you cover all areas such as dialysis, breathing machines, tube feeding and organ donation. Finally, talk to your family. Be clear to them about your wishes.