Most people think of their living will as a way to distribute personal belongings among those they love in the event of their death, but it is actually much more than that. A will should also serve as your direct statement about what medical care you do or do not want to receive in a life threatening situation.
This often goes hand in hand with a statement that assigns your chosen medical power of attorney, or POA.
When someone is injured or falls critically ill there is often a lot of disagreement and confusion among loved ones regarding what should be done. Medical decisions are difficult to make when they are life threatening, but they are even harder when family members have to decide whether to let someone go or hang on longer.
With a medical power of attorney, you can prevent all of this confusion and clear up any disagreement. You essentially give your final word on what you want, so they do not have to do their own guesswork and argue over what they think you would have wanted. You are essentially speaking up for yourself now since you won't be able to do so later on.
For instance, you can specify whether you want to be resuscitated with CPR in the event your heart starts beating or whether you want to be put on life support or allowed to pass on. These are very hard issues to decide, but when there is a living will in place the decisions are much easier on your loved ones.
Along with a medical will often comes the selection of a medical power of attorney. This is a person who you choose to speak up on your behalf in medical situations. Given you cannot make a decision for yourself, the decisions of this person will be taken as your own word.
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