084: Living Will Advanced Directive

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Cortes Law Firm

5801 Broadway Extension Hwy Suite 110

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Transcript

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Living WIll Advanced Directive or advanced directive living will, the both those terms can be used interchangeably depending on what jurisdiction you're in. But a living will is a very important document that is part of your revocable living trust centered estate plan, because this is the document that lets the world know not only medical professionals, but your family and your health care power of attorney. It lets everybody know exactly how you want to be cared for if you are in a persistent vegetative state. Those are the key words, unfortunately. Persistent vegetative state. Now, what does that mean? That usually means, again, depending on your jurisdiction, that two independent physicians have determined that there is zero brain activity and there is zero possibility of that brain activity reigniting. If that's the case, what do you want to happen? Do you want to get continue to get food, water and pain medication? Do you want to be on a machine to help you breathe all of these decisions are up to you and they are part of your living will or your advanced directive. Some people want to continue to get food and water, but they don't want any pain medication. Some people want just pain medication. I've had a lot of nurses specifically say that they want water and pain medication, because they believe that the water will actually help with the pain medication. So again, these are decisions that you have to have to make those were nurses who had been in the medical profession for a long time. So check with your own medical professional before you decide on this extremely important issue. But the living will advance directive is an extremely important part of revocable living trust centered estate plan because like I said, it outlines it gives instructions to the world on exactly what you want to happen. The unintended benefit of this I think, is that it also alleviates the pressure. It takes the burden off of the shoulders of your family or the health care power of attorney that you have named because you have told them exactly what you want to happen. So instead of them having to have sleepless nights and talk to people or pray about it and trying to decide what to do for you because you are in a persistent vegetative state, instead of having to worry about what you would think you have done that for them. You have said exactly what you want, whether that's just pain medication, whether it's food, water and pain medication or whatever the combination is you have made that decision, not them, not anybody else. And all the health care power of attorney, all the medical personnel, all the family has to do is follow your wishes, which you have specifically put down in writing, to take care of you.