A living will is an essential part of your estate plan. It is also known as an advance health care directive. But this piece of estate planning is not concerned with assets and wealth. Instead, it helps you make your wishes about medical treatment and end-of-life care clear.
If you end up mentally incapacitated and unable to make your own health care decisions, your loved ones may be unsure of your desires. Plus, doctors may provide treatments that you do not want. Here are some core advantages to implementing an advance health care directive.
Refuse unwanted treatments
You may not want to undergo certain procedures or treatments. For example, your religious or moral beliefs may guide you to not want a feeding tube. Similarly, you may want to enact a “do not resuscitate” order. Writing a living will gives you control over the treatments you receive.
Authorize treatments
There are several types of procedures that require explicit authorization from patients. You can authorize treatments beforehand in the event you become incapacitated. This ensures you will get the treatment you want and need.
Know the outcomes
Life is unpredictable, and you may never know when an illness, disease or injury may cause you to not be able to make your own medical decisions. However, you can be certain about the medical process that follows any of these events. Having this document in place takes some guessing out of the equation. At the very least, you can specify what you wish to happen in this type of situation.
Prevent family problems
A medical emergency can cause a variety of concerns and arguments amongst loved ones. Your family members may hold different beliefs about treatments. Without your wishes in writing in a legal document, there may be squabbling and uncertainty. Legal battles and family rifts may arise out of this situation. Creating a living will brings peace of mind to everyone.