Do you know if your family is going to be okay if disaster strikes?
You can use living wills to state your wishes about end-of-life care and how much pain medication you want, or they may cover other aspects of health care such as organ donation. They also allow people with illnesses to make decisions about their future before the disease progresses too far.
If you don’t have a living will, it’s important to discuss these issues with your family so everyone knows what your wishes are in case something happens.
Keep reading to learn more about living wills and why they are important.
What is a Living Will?
A living will is a written, legal document that gives doctors and/or medical caregivers information as to what medical care you want to receive. You can put them together with the help of a wills attorney. Particularly, in circumstances where you are unable to communicate your preferences.
If ever you get in an accident or have a severe illness, having a living will help address the medical treatment you want. This includes your preferences for other medical decisions, such as organ donation or pain management.
Basically, this document allows you to state your bidding for end-of-life medical care. Besides that, it assists with your family’s decisions on how they can sustain your quality of life on terms you agree with.
Why is it Important to Have a Living Will?
A living will can give invaluable guidance to your family members and healthcare professionals. This is especially true when you are helping someone with their estate planning or you are doing it on your own.
If you don’t have a living will, your doctors will look to your closest family members (usually your spouse and children) for medical decisions for you. A living will can prevent conflict and guilt among family members. To start, conflict can arise if family members cannot agree. These conflicts happen more often than you would think and it can cause a rift between family members. Oftentimes, they end up in painful disputes, which can potentially lead to court cases.
There are scenarios where family members ask doctors to do everything they can to keep a loved one alive. However, when that person dies, the family may feel guilt for putting that person through unnecessary tests and treatments.
Another scenario is that the family members decide not to go through with needless tests and treatments. To which, sometimes their family feels as though they should have done more after the fact.
With a legal document, there is no second-guessing from your family and medical physicians about what you want. You will receive the treatment you desire and your family does not have to carry that burden.
Hire a Wills Attorney Today
Now you should have a better understanding of living wills and why you need one. You do not have to do it all by yourself, you can hire a wills attorney that will sort it out for you.
For more helpful tips, check out the “Lifestyle” section of our blog.
