Understanding The Importance Of Living Wills
A living will, also called a will to live, is extremely important if you are going to undergo some sort of procedure that could incapacitate you and leave you without the ability to make sound decisions regarding your care. A living will usually gives instructions regarding care, or prevention of care, food and water and more. It is also usually accompanied by a power of attorney that is given to a loved one who will make legal and health care decisions for you when you are unable. The importance of living wills cannot be reinforced enough. There are times when a loved one is going to have to make sound decisions for you because you are unable to. Even though these decisions can be difficult for anyone to make, they may be necessary for a number of reasons.
Surgery
If you are elderly or of poor health and you are going to undergo some sort of surgical procedure, you may want to look into the importance of living wills. The term living will, or will to live, implies that you have the will to live. This will usually mean that the person who has been given power of attorney for you will do whatever they can, or make whatever decisions they can, to ensure that your life is prolonged. However, you may provide instructions in your living will not to be saved in case things go awry. This is usually in the form of a DNR, or Do Not Resuscitate, which means you do not wish to be put on life support if your life depends on it. This is also an important aspect as to the importance of living wills.
What Care Is Given
Your life may be saved by a loved one and that's why the importance of living wills should be stressed. You never know when you may become incapacitated in any way and thus unable to make sound decisions for yourself regarding medical, or any other type of, care. There are times when a loved one, such as a brother or sister, or even one of your children, may have to give instructions to doctors or nurses as to how to care for you. These are tough decisions to make so you should make sure your living will gives instructions to the loved one you trust the most and who also has the most sound judgment.
You may not want to think about the importance of a living will, or the implications of it at all, but it's something to be thought about now, while you're still healthy. That's so that when that time finally does come, when you're incapacitated and can't make decisions on your own, your loved one can take over and provide the care that will be necessary to prolong your life.
