The following is an explanation of the purpose and options afforded while creating your Living Will (Advanced Medical Directive) through our our copyrighted, online questionnaire process:
This form has two main purposes: (a) to make your wishes known to your family and health care providers in cases of persistent unconsciousness or where you are suffering from a terminal illness and are mentally unable to make health care decisions and (b) to designate an individual to act as your agent for health care matters in cases where you have become mentally incapacitated or are otherwise unable to communicate your decisions regarding health care matters. In our form, two physicians must certify in writing that you are incapacitated before your agent will have the power to make health care decisions for you. This form is called by many a "Living Will". The reason to have such a document is to avoid potential confusion and arguments among your family members after you lose the ability to communicate with them. This is a link to an article concerning the plight of a Missouri family with factions suing each other on the issue of whether to unhook their relative from machines who was in a persistent vegetative state: story of Steven G. Becker.
Options contained in questionnaire:
Name an agent for health care matters to act on your behalf in cases where you are mentally incapacitated or otherwise unable to communication your decisions regarding health care matters,
In cases of persistent unconsciousness with no reasonable expectation of recovery, you may indicate your wishes regarding whether to administer the following treatments:
artificially supplied nutrition and hydration,
surgery or other invasive procedures,
heart-lung resuscitation (CPR),
antibiotics,
mechanical ventialator (repirator), and
radiation therapy such as chemotherapy.
State whether you desire to make anatomical gifts of organs and tissue for transplant after your death.
Contains a clause giving HIPAA Privacy Authorization to the agent.
The above is provided for informational purposes only and is NOT to be relied upon as legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is established by use of our online legal forms system. THESE FORMS ARE SOLD ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITH NO WARRANTIES OR GUARANTIES.