Living Wills
Those who are concerned about what will happen if they when you are seriously ill and a decision will need to be made about receiving treatment that you may not want, for example to prolong artificially your life, then a Living Will is the place where you can set out your views and know that they will be taken account of at the appropriate time.
A Living Will is not actually a will at all – although it is often referred to as one. It is, instead, a statement which sets out your wishes as to how you would, or would not, like to be treated in the event that you are unable to make decisions about your treatment at the some point in the future. It will only come into effect if you are no longer able to make decisions yourself. It can be used so that you can let others know:
- the circumstances under which you would not want to receive life-sustaining medical treatment if you became seriously ill in the future and were incapable of making your own healthcare decisions,
- whether you would want to be treated by means of artificial feeding, mechanical ventilation, antibiotic therapy and resuscitation.
To be valid, it must comply with the various legal requirements set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and, in particular, must be signed by you whilst you have mentally capable to do so in the presence of a witness and must contain the appropriate information to make your wishes known.
For more information about General Powers of Attorney go to the Your Will web site section dealing with Living Wills. Alternatively, if you would like to make a Living Will then either phone us on 084 4804 4800 or to make your Living Will online using our web-based services go to the Make your Living Will section of the Your Will web site.