Living Wills

No matter what your age or state of health, it’s imperative to have a living will. This
legally binding document allows you to specify how you wish to be treated in case
you are unable to make your wishes known. In it, you’ll answer questions such as
whether you want to be kept on life support and who will make decisions for you
if you are unable to communicate. If you are caught in such a situation without a
living will, also known as an advance directive, your loved ones or the hospital will
have to make those decisions on your behalf—and they won’t necessarily make the
decisions you want.

Here are a few good reasons why to have a Living Will:

· Pain Control and how far you want to take it
· Resuscitation wishes
· Your wishes in regards to organ donation
· Appointing a person to make decisions on your behalf

Keep your living will on file with the hospital, and ease your fears about what would
happen if you had to be admitted and were unable to communicate.

Another important document to have is a General Power of Attorney Form.

A general power of attorney form grants extensive powers to an agent of your
choice. You should only issue this form to a person you implicitly know and whom
you can trust will act in your best interests, as this person will be able to conduct
any sort of business on your behalf. This form is used for a specified period only,
for occasions when you will be traveling out of the state or country or a hospital
stay that would limit your ability to handle your affairs. This form expires on the date
specified, with no need to issue a revocation thereafter, and also expires should you
become mentally incapacitated.

You can learn more about other forms you need by visiting this Living Wills web site.