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According to the Associated Press, many baby boomers don't have end-of-life legal documents such as a living will, and some say it's because they feel healthy and young in their middle-age years and don't need to dwell on death.
An Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll found that 64 percent of persons born between 1946 and 1964 say they don't have a health care proxy or living will. Those documents would guide medical decisions should a patient be unable to communicate with doctors.
A living will spells out a patient's wishes for medical care if he or she is unable to communicate with doctors.
The health care proxy, also known as a health care power of attorney, allows an individual to select a person he or she trusts to make decisions about medical care should the patient become incapacitated.
Living wills and health care powers of attorney are a good idea for everyone whether they are healthy and young or older and not so healthy. The two documents can spare families a painful fight and ensure that patients receive - or don't receive - the medical treatment they wish should they end up in a situation where they can't speak for themselves.
Contrary to what some think, a living will is not "all or nothing. " A person can say he or she wants all, some or no measures taken to prolong life,
High-profile cases such as the Florida family fight over Terri Schiavo show why it is a smart reason to draft a living will and health care proxy. At 26, Schiavo collapsed at her St. Petersburg home in 1990 with no end-of-life care instructions in writing. Her heart stopped and she suffered what doctors said was irreversible brain damage that left her in a permanent vegetative state. Her husband said his wife would not have wanted to live in a vegetative state; her parents wanted her kept alive. A years-long legal battle ensued that involved dozens of judges in numerous jurisdictions, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and Congress.
The Korte Law Firm can protect Missouri residents and their loved ones with health care powers of attorney and living wills. Contact us for more information. |
