A living will is a document that instructs medical staff to either provide or withdraw life-sustaining care. It is applied if a patient has no realistic means of being cured, commonly, a terminal condition.
A living will is a document being replaced in many States with a form known as an advance directive. Mainly because it combines both a medical power of attorney and a living will.
If a person wants medical care, under any circumstance, they can choose to have all life-supporting services be kept in place. Otherwise, it is common practice for a patient in a terminal condition to end their life peacefully.
Although, this definition is different for everyone. It should be described fully as an “acceptable quality of life” for the patient to inform medical staff.
If an individual has a terminal condition, they can reject emergency services such as CPR or life-sustaining procedures (e.g., ventilation, feeding tubes).
A patient must make a voluntary declaration to donate their organs. If desired, only specific body parts can be selected.
