How You Can Dictate Your End-of-Life Care

YOU can decide now how you want to be treated if you become seriously ill and unable to make or communicate decisions yourself.

A living will allows you to specify whether treatment should be withheld (or continued regardless of suffering) unlike a power of attorney where you nominate someone to make decisions on your behalf.

There are a couple of things to bear in mind, though. How do you know you will feel the same when you are on your death bed? What if you change your mind without amending the document? And are you taking into consideration possible advances in medical science?

A living will does defend your human rights and would save your family from possibly making a harrowing decision. And it would help your doctors. However, it’s not a licence to commit euthanasia.

But what it does mean is that people who fear pain or indignity more than death itself can have control over their end-of- life care. Making a living will in the early stages of an illness or disability allows you to consult with doctors as to the possible scenarios when the situation worsens.

For further advice about making a living will, ring Heritage Will Writing on 02380 879243.