| The purpose of a Living Will declaration is | | | | In most states, a Living Will is applicable |
| to document your wish that life-sustaining | | | | only to individuals in a terminal condition |
| treatment, including artificially or | | | | or a permanently unconscious state. If you |
| technologically supplied nutrition and | | | | wish to direct medical treatment in other |
| hydration, be withheld or withdrawn if you | | | | circumstances, you should prepare a Health |
| are unable to make informed medical decisions | | | | Care Power of Attorney.The Health Care Power |
| and are in a terminal condition or in a | | | | of Attorney form gives the person you |
| permanently unconscious state.1. | | | | designate (agent or attorney-in-fact) the |
| Life-sustaining treatment means any health | | | | authority to make most health care (including |
| care, including artificially or | | | | dental, nursing, psychological, and surgical) |
| technologically supplied nutrition and | | | | decisions for you if you lose the capacity to |
| hydration, that will serve mainly to prolong | | | | make informed health care decisions for |
| the process of dying.2. Terminal condition or | | | | yourself. This authority is effective only |
| terminal illness means an irreversible, | | | | when your attending physician determines that |
| incurable and untreatable condition caused by | | | | you have lost the capacity to make informed |
| disease, illness or injury. Your physician | | | | health care decisions for yourself. As long |
| and one other physician will have examined | | | | as you have the capacity to make informed |
| you and believe that you cannot recover and | | | | health care decisions for yourself, you |
| that death is likely to occur within a | | | | retain the right to make all medical and |
| relatively short time if you do not receive | | | | other health care decisions. You may also |
| life-sustaining treatment.3. Permanently | | | | limit the health care decisions that your |
| unconscious state means an irreversible | | | | agent will have the authority to make. The |
| condition in which you are permanently | | | | authority of the agent to make health care |
| unaware of yourself and your surroundings. | | | | decisions for you generally will include the |
| Your physician and one other physician must | | | | authority to give informed consent, to refuse |
| examine you and agree that the total loss of | | | | to give informed consent, or to withdraw |
| higher brain function has left you unable to | | | | informed consent to any care, treatment, |
| feel pain or suffering.Having a Living Will | | | | service, or procedure to maintain, diagnose, |
| does not affect the responsibility of health | | | | or treat a physical or mental condition.Click |
| care personnel to provide comfort care to | | | | here to find your state's Living Will Form & |
| you. Comfort care means any measure taken to | | | | Health Care Power of Attorney Form.Legal |
| diminish pain or discomfort, but not to | | | | Forms Bank.biz, download printable online |
| postpone death. | | | | legal forms. |
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