The Importance of Living Wills in Your Estate Plan
Living Wills, also known as Advanced Healthcare Directives in Idaho, are a vital component of your estate plan, healthcare decisions, and gift to your loved ones. These documents ensure that your medical wishes are understood and respected. This is important in situations where you cannot communicate your wishes yourself.
Why a Living Will Matters: The Terri Schiavo Case
In 1990, there was a widely publicized case of Terri Schiavo. Terri suffered a heart attack that left her in a persistent vegetative state. For eight years, she was kept alive with a feeding tube and extensive medical care. In 1998, her husband petitioned the court to remove the feeding tube, believing that Terri would not have wanted to be kept alive in this condition. Terri’s parents disagreed and fought to keep her alive. What followed was a seven-year legal battle, including Congressional hearings, over whether to remove her feeding tube—all because Terri did not have a living will. Ultimately, the feeding tube was removed in 2005, and Terri passed away 13 days later.
This case highlights the importance of having a Living Will (Advanced Healthcare Directive). It is a way to prevent such painful and drawn-out disputes among your loved ones by clearly stating your medical wishes.
What Is a Living Will?
Despite the name, a Living Will is less about “living” and more about “dying with dignity.” We often refer to it as “Instructions to Let Me Die” because it provides specific guidance to your doctors and loved ones when you can’t speak for yourself.
A Living Will comes into play under specific circumstances:
- Terminal Condition: You have an illness or injury that is terminal.
- Life-Sustaining Procedures: Your life is being artificially prolonged by life-sustaining measures.
- Imminent Death: Doctors have determined that your death is imminent, regardless of life-sustaining procedures.
- Persistent Vegetative State: You are in a state with no hope of recovery.
In these situations, your Living Will dictates the type of medical care you receive.
Understanding Your Options
A Living Will typically offers three options for your care, ranging from aggressive treatment to allowing natural death. Regardless of your choice, you will always be kept comfortable and pain-free.
- Keep Me Alive at All Costs
- This option directs medical staff to do everything possible to sustain your life, including providing food and water, in addition to keeping you pain-free and out of distress.
- Feed and Hydrate Me
- This middle-ground option ensures you are kept comfortable, with basic sustenance like food and water, but without extraordinary measures to prolong your life.
- Let Me Go
- This option instructs medical staff to discontinue all artificial life-support, including food and water, allowing you to pass naturally while ensuring you remain pain-free and comfortable.
A Gift to Your Loved Ones
While thinking about your death is never easy, a Living Will is not just about your healthcare choices—it is about sparing your loved ones from making difficult and emotional decisions during a crisis. Clearly stating your wishes gives them peace of mind and prevents potential conflicts.
Plan Ahead:
Creating a Living Will is a crucial step in your estate planning. Contact us today to ensure your healthcare decisions are documented and your loved ones are spared from unnecessary heartache.
