Living Wills Can Kill You

| by Ivon T. Hughes | September 29, 2005
Obviously, it is beneficial for anyone, in a vegetative state lor not to have a Living Will. But, people need to know that many of the Living Wills utilized today have major problems associated with them.

Living Wills Have To Be Clear

Much of the problem stems from misinterpretation of typical Living Wills by medical staff. These forms are often one size fits all and often legally driven and therefore do not flow medically. Also, they are often recommended to patients with end stage conditions who have already agreed to only comfort care or hospice interventions. As such, when medical staff see Living Wills they automatically associate it with a reduced level of care. This is what makes a standard Living Will dangerous and it may comprimise your care and safety.

Most people who create Living Wills are unaware of this problem and wish to receive care, unless they are terminal despite reasonable medical interventions, or in a persistent vegetative state.

Living Wills Call For Group Discussion

In most cases at least, Living Wills should be read and interpreted by at least two persons. They can recheck the document and the patient's history and decide whether to intervene.

Attorneys often help create the problem when writing Living Wills for clients. They should not be doing Living Wills unless there is some sort of interaction with the help of an experienced physician.

Article Source: http://www.articleset.com



About the Author

Ivon T. Hughes is founder of http://www.writerscontest.ca, which, for a limited time, is sponsoring a writing contest for articles about term life insurance and Term Deposits/GICs. See the site for guidelines. All entries are FREE, and you will never be asked to pay any sort of fee. For each article you enter, you will receive a FREE WILL KIT (a $39 value). And if you refer some of your friends who participate, they too will receive a FREE Will Kit. Writing and submitting articles is easy! Visit http://www.writerscontest.ca/index1.html?ac to submit an article on term insurance or http://www.writerscontest.ca/index2.html?ac to submit an article on Term Deposits/GICs.
trustco@writerscontest.ca » Read more articles by Ivon T. Hughes
You are welcome to publish or reprint this article free of charge, provided: