Living Wills vs. Health Care Proxy

In today's day and age, with people living much longer and dealing with the resulting illnesses that result, I cannot stress the importance of drawing up a Living Will or Health Care Proxy enough.

A Living Will is a legal document that lets your loved ones and medical professionals know how you wish to be treated in certain health care situations where you are not able to express your wishes. For example, the Living Wills that I draw up for clients have the language "These instructions apply if I am a) in a terminal condition; b) permanently unconscious; or c) if I am minimally conscious but have irreversible brain damage and will never regain the ability to make decisions and express my wishes."

Living Wills will often cover the topics of life prolonging medical treatments such as life support and resuscitation.

A Health Care Proxy, on the other hand, is a legal document that designates a person who is to make health care decisions for you in the event you are not able to express your wishes. A Health Care Proxy can cover anything from overall management of care to life support termination.