What does the future hold? Do we honestly know what tomorrow will bring? We all know that we can not honestly answer these questions with a yes. We know that no one can predict the future. We do, however, live in a world of, "It will never happen to me." Bad things happen all the time. We plan for our retirements better then we do the final act of which ends our lives. When we do get concerned about this it is in regards to our finances and our kids after we leave this world. Making sure our wills are done and our kids are taken care of are becoming more of something people are concerned about. We falter at this, but not like we do living wills. We can more fathom we will die, then we can fathom we will lay in a bed with no brain waves waiting for something to happen while families fight over what is the best way for us to leave this world. Sometimes we can survive many years while families decide over what is to be done with us when it could have all been avoided by a simple piece of paper expressing our views.
Wouldn't you want you wishes to be granted? It takes only minutes for your life to forever change. A bad accident or illness can lay this right in your lap. No Living Will means Doctors and an emotional Family have to decide how long or when to stop treating you. It is a small effort to make sure your wishes are followed when you can no longer make these decisions. Do it while you still have the capacity to express your wishes.
The information on this page can help you with this important task.
* Before doing anything, find out as much as you can on the laws pertaining to living wills in your own state. Find out all the information you can.
* Then talk to your doctor and see what the process of handling a person's living will is according to their policies.
* Talk to your family and let them know your wishes. Be open and honest with them and give them an opportunity to express their concerns. Deal with it now to avoid fights later, and it is easier to deal with this when your mind is clear. Your family is not under the stress of a crisis situation right now. They are in better shape now to deal with it then when you are in a coma.
* Fill out the Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney.
* Get them notarized. It is the best way to make these documents legal.
* After the will is notarized, give copies to family, doctors, hospital and all those people who may be present at the time when it would need to be activated.
More information is available at A Guide To Health Care Decision Making
Get the forms you need at the following links:
* Free Printable Living Will
* Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney
* DNR Forms and Information
I am not going to talk a lot about this issue. This page is all about personal choice. This section is no different. You may check any of the links on this page and get further information from doing searches on the Internet. The only thing I would like to say is to make sure the person is someone you know will honor your wishes. Whether family member or friend, this person has a major responsibility should you no longer be able to express your wishes. Make this and all decisions surrounding your Living Will, Health Care Power of Attorney, and DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) very carefully. These are choices that if made wrong you won't get a second chance. Make sure you specify your wishes completely and carefully.
More information is available at A Guide To Health Care Decision Making
I know that discussing this stuff is not easy. These are things non of us want deal with, but it is very important. It will save a whole lot of stress by doing it now instead of waiting until you no longer can make a choice for yourself. Don't lay this burden on your families at a time when they should be trying to deal with the ordeal of loosing you or living without being able to participate in your life.
The pain of dealing with dying family members is hard enough without having to make decisions about what is best for someone who can't say what they want. Take this decision out of their hands.
I have not done this page because I wanted to debate issues on when a person should pull the plug. I wanted to express the need to get your decisions made before it is too late to make them.
