A living will is a document that lets you decide whether or not to be kept on artificial life support.
This kind of document wasn’t needed or even thought of until the early 1950s when physicians developed techniques for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and then established intensive care units (ICUs) where patients in need of respiratory support and cardiac monitoring could be cared for. Life could be artificially extended. Fast forward to today’s advanced life support systems that can keep a person alive for years, even if their brain is no longer functioning. Is that what you would want? Here in Cincinnati, Ohio, a living will would provide direction to your attending physician about your end-of-life decisions if you cannot express those decisions yourself. In essence, it states that you desire to die a natural death and that you do not want extraordinary medical treatment if, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, there is no reasonable hope of recovery.
We have all heard of the cases in the news about families forever divided over a loved one on life support. Some want to let them go; others don’t want to give up. Unless the individual in question is a child, the emotional turmoil could have been avoided had the person prepared a living will in advance. That’s just one good reason to have a living will; to spare your family from having to make your end-of-life decisions for you.
In addition to sparing your family, here are a few more things to consider about living wills:
EXPENSES
While the decision to stop life support shouldn’t be about money, the fact is that it costs a tremendous amount to keep a patient alive on life support. By making your wishes known in advance, you can avoid those life support bills and ensure more of your estate goes where you want it to … to your loved ones, not the hospital.
MAKING IT LEGAL
You should discuss your wishes with your family to ensure they understand what you want regarding your end of life. But that’s not enough. You need a legal document to ensure your wishes are binding and carried out.
No one wants to contemplate their own death. You might think you’re young, healthy, and have many more years on this earth. But we all know there are no guarantees. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow or next week. Death is a certainty; most of us don’t know when.
Take this easy step to protect your hard-earned assets and your loved ones by getting your living will drafted.
I am happy to help; once done, you don’t need to think about it again. Give me a call at 513-399-7526 or visit my website www.davidlefton.com