Documents On Your Behalf: Living Will And Power Of Attorney
Planning for your incapacity is the only way to ensure that your health care wishes are followed in the event that you can’t speak for yourself.
Without properly documenting your health care wishes, you may find yourself in a situation in which a doctor, judge, or long-lost family member may be making health care decisions on your behalf. All too often, these decisions are made by people who really don’t know what the patient would have preferred had they the ability to speak for themselves.
The first step in documenting your health care wishes, is a document often referred to as a living will. This is basically a statement of what kind of care you want or would refuse in the event that you become incapacitated. Don’t be fooled by the name. A living will has nothing to do with a last will and testament or a living trust. The purpose of the living will is executed solely to ensure your health care wishes are carried out.
