The Importance of Free Living Wills
A free living will -- commonly referred to as a will to live -- is extremely
important in cases you are to undergo any kind of surgery that might leave you incapacitated
or lacking capacity for making sound choices concerning your future care.
A free living will generally provides directions concerning care, or curtailment of
medication, nutrition, water and more. A living will is frequently accompanied by "power of
attorney" granted usually to a loved one (the executor) who will act in your stead to decide
on legal and health arrangements.
Surgery
If you're elderly or in ill health, and you undergo some kind of
major of surgery, you should investigate the value of free living wills. The words living will, or will
to live, are exactly what the term suggests; you have the will to live. This can typically signify that the
person who is granted "power of attorney" will do everything in their power, and make whatever
judgments are necessary, to ensure your life is preserved. You may, of course, furnish
directions in your living will to not be spared in any event where circumstances go wrong.
Such directions are sometimes in the form of a DNR, or "Do Not Resuscitate" instruction, meaning
you do not wish to be placed on life support if living requires it. This, too, is an essential
provision of living wills.
What Care Is Provided
You never know someday when you might become incapacitated or incapable of making
reliable decisions about your health and subsequent treatment. Similarly, there
are occasions when a loved one, such as husband, wife, brother or sister, or even your
kids, may need to provide directions to physicians or nurses as to your care. As you'll appreciate, these are
difficult choices for anyone to make, so you must ensure your free living will provides sufficient
directions to your loved one (or executor) to carry out your wishes.
You might not wish to consider right now the significance of having a free living will, or
even the implications, however, it is something you should consider today whilst you're still in good
health.
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