Creating a living will

• Also called Advance Health Care Directive or Durable Power of Attorney

for Healthcare

• Hospitals and most doctor’s offices will provide you with the form

upon request.

• Designates someone to make health care decisions for you only if you can’t

speak for yourself

• Must be completed while you are competent to know what you are

signing, i.e. without dementia.

• Needs to be witnessed

In general, your living will may have:

• A standard direction that specifies whether you want life-prolonging procedures administered or continued if there is no probability of your survival.

• More specific directions about what care you do or do not want (for example, dialysis, mechanical ventilation to assist with breathing, artificial hydration and nutrition or CPR).

• Anatomical gift decisions (meaning, whether you wish to be an organ and

tissue donor or donate your body to science or education).

• Palliative care wishes (like whether you wish to die at home or avoid

invasive tests or procedures).

• Spiritual and religious considerations