LIVING WILLS

INTRODUCTION

A Living Will is a document that can be prepared so that you can state in advance what wishes you would like to express about medical treatment if at some stage for some reason you were unable to communicate those wishes yourself.

DECISIONS

In a Living Will you can usually make five types of decisions. You could:-
a. Wish to be kept alive for as long as reasonably possible using
whatever form of medical treatment is available,
b. Do not wish to be kept alive by medical treatment and would wish
medical treatment to be limited to keeping you comfortable and free from pain,
c. Express any wishes about any specific medical treatment to
investigations that you may in the future require,
d. Appoint a Health Care Proxy
e. Express a wish for a particular person to be contacted or given a
chance to be with you before you die.

You can make these decisions in relation to three main areas.
1. A physical illness from which there is no likelihood of recovery
and is so serious that your life is nearing its end.
2. A permanent mental impairment that is so severe that you do not
understand what is happening to you,
3. Permanent unconsciousness with no likelihood of gaining
consciousness.

HEALTH CARE PROXY

The Health Care Proxy is the person you can appoint to make decisions on your behalf about medical treatment.

DISCUSSION WITH OTHERS

A Living Will is an unusual and important document and expresses very personal wishes. We would strongly urge you to talk to your Doctor and relatives about health care options open to you.

EXPRESS WISHES ONLY

A Living Will can be binding on your Doctor or Hospital and is simply a way of you expressing your wishes so that the Doctors treating you will abide by those wishes.

LOW COSTS

The cost of making a Living Will is £50 inclusive of v.a.t.
MORE INFORMATION

For more information please contact ourselves. Alternatively some useful information can be obtained from the Voluntary Euthanasia Society web site.

MAKING A LIVING WILL

If you would like to make a Living Will please contact us and complete our Living Will questionnaire.


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