A living will is not just for people who are in poor health. Healthy people also need living wills. The Washington Post recently featured an article on why it is crucial that both people in poor health and healthy people alike need to have a living will.
If I’m Healthy, Why Do I Need a Living Will?
A living will enables you to lay out what type of medical treatment you want to receive in case something happens to you and you are unable to make decisions for yourself at that time. For instance, if you want a ventilator or do not want a feeding tube, you can make that decision now while you are healthy and have your wishes honored even if you are incapacitated due to a healthcare emergency.
While living wills have been readily available for decades, most people do not have one. In some cases, people do not want to get a living will because they fear that they will not receive any type of medical treatment if they request not to receive certain types of medical treatment, such as requesting not to be put on a ventilator. In other situations, people do not have a living will because they fear that they will change their mind about what type of medical care they want to receive as they get older or their medical condition changes.
In both cases, people should not fear that a living will could turn out to be a negative. Just because you have a living will does not mean you will not receive medical treatment. It only means that you will not undergo any medical procedures that you do not want performed on you. In addition, if you change your mind about what type of medical treatment or end-of-life care you want to receive, you can change your living will.
The San Jose and Danville trust and estate law attorneys at Timmerman, Cilley & Kohlmann, LLP have been guiding individuals and families through the process of setting up estate plans, end-of-life plans and living wills for over 15 years. Call us today to schedule a free 30-minute initial consultation with one of our attorneys.
