For You
Living Wills
what are that and why are they important?
Wills are something that we are all familiar with but not many of us have thought about what happens before we die if, for example, we need medical care but may not be able to express our opinions on whether that care or intervention is acceptable to us.
Although we all hope to live a full and active life, ultimately passing away in our sleep the reality is often different and many of us will spend time in hospital. Living Wills or “advance directives/decisions” as they are sometimes known, indicate your desire to refuse some or all forms of medical treatment and under which circumstances you would want this to apply. An advance directive is prepared whilst you are mentally capable and is only used once you are no longer capable of taking part in the decision making process.
Without an advance directive, in certain circumstances, decisions might be made about your medical care without consideration of what you would prefer and choose for yourself. Of course clinical decisions remain with the medical profession but there are many other issues you can and should provide guidance on.
A witnessed document, such as an advance directive, makes sure that your voice is heard and your wishes considered. Alternatively you may have a valid Lasting Power of Attorney – Welfare in place, authorising others to make decisions regarding your care needs and medical treatment.
Richard Hall at Aldridge Brownlee said
“We all like to think that because we are in good health now we will never find ourselves in the situation where we are unable to communicate our wishes to those around us about medical treatment. But the truth is we don’t know what lies ahead. By making these preparations now, people can prevent a lot of heartache in the future for themselves and their loved ones.”
If you would like further information or guidance please contact us.
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