What is a Living Will?
A living will is simply one type of advance directives. A living will gives specific or general instructions as to the kinds of care to provide or withhold, and the type of conditions in which it should apply. Some states have specific requirements for living wills to be valid; Arizona’s requirements are very simple.
A living will is a document that allows for the withdrawal of life sustaining medical procedures in the event an individual suffers from an incurable injury, disease or illness with no reasonable chance of recovery. The condition must be certified to be terminal and irreversible by two physicians who have personally examined the person. The living will allows for the withdrawal of the life sustaining procedures where they would serve only to prolong artificially the dying process, and the person is permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication or medical procedures deemed necessary to provide comfort care. A standard Declaration is set forth in Title 40 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes and can be obtained free in most hospitals.
A Living Will informs your physician that you want to die naturally if you develop an illness or injury that is terminal or you are in a persistent vegetative state. It allows you to tell the physician what your medical treatment preferences would be in the event you are near death or in a persistent vegetative state. A Living Will allows you to refuse treatment or machines which keep your heart, lungs or kidneys functioning when they are unable to function on their own. You can relate your choices about feeding tubes and other life sustaining procedures in this document. A Living Will goes into effect only when two physicians, one of whom is your attending physician, agree in writing that you are either near death and are unable to understand or express your healthcare choices, or are in a persistent vegetative state that cannot be reversed. The implementation of a living will becomes the responsibility of your physician, not your family.
A living will is a legal document that tells others that you want to die naturally, should you become terminally ill or in a persistent vegetative state from which you will not recover. You can tell your physician whether or not to use treatments that would delay your dying, such as using a breathing machine (respirator) or giving you food and water through a tube (artificial nutrition or hydration).
