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News Updated Date : |
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November 22nd, 2009 11:36am |
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Professional Living Trust Will
Law Services In CA
Making your medical wishes known now can save a
lot of heartache later.
A living will (also known as an advance
medical directive) is a statement of your wishes for the kind of
life-sustaining medical intervention you want, or don't want, in
the event that you become terminally ill and unable to
communicate.
Most states have living will statutes that define
when a living will goes into effect (for example, when a person has
less than six months to live). State law may also restrict the
medical interventions to which such directives apply.
Your condition and the terms of your directive also will be
subject to interpretation. Different institutions and doctors may
come to different conclusions.
As a result, in some instances a living
will may not be followed. Nevertheless, a patient's wishes are
taken very seriously, and an advance medical directive is one of
the best ways to have a say in your medical care when you can't
express yourself otherwise.
You increase your chances of enforcing your directive when
you have a health-care agent advocating on your behalf.
You can name such an agent by way of a health-care proxy, or by assigning
what's called a medical power of attorney. You sign a legal
document in which you name someone you trust to make medical
decisions on your behalf in the event that you can't do so for
yourself.
A health-care proxy applies to all instances when you're
incapacitated, not just if you're terminally ill.
Choose your health-care agent carefully. That person should
be able to do three key things: understand important medical
information regarding your treatment, handle the stress of making
tough decisions, and keep your best interests and wishes in mind
when making those decisions.
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