Before you can make an informed decision about the types of care you’d want to receive in the event of a medical emergency, you need to know what the options are. The following are some of the interventions you can mention in your living will.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is when someone compresses the chest to keep blood moving through the body when the heart stops beating. It has the potential to revive a person or stabilize them until emergency medical professionals can perform other interventions.
A ventilator is a device that assists with breathing or breathes for another person. When someone will only need to be on a ventilator for a short period of time, medical professionals insert a tube into their windpipes and keep them sedated so they remain comfortable. If a ventilator will be necessary for a long time to sustain life, doctors may perform a medical procedure called a tracheostomy, producing a hole in the throat that can connect to the ventilator.
When someone can no longer eat and drink on their own, medical professionals can use a feeding tube to supply them with nutrients. A feeding tube may be inserted into the esophagus for a period of time. When a feeding tube is necessary for an extended length of time, it may be necessary to surgically insert the tube into the stomach through a hole made in the abdomen.
If you have heart disease, you may have an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator that restarts your heart in an emergency. When putting together your living will, you’ll need to decide at what point you'd want your medical provider to turn the device off.
Now that you know what type of care may be used to sustain your life in an emergency, think carefully about the options. Would you want your medical care team to do everything possible to keep you alive for as long as possible? Would you only want life-sustaining care if there was a good chance you'd recover? Do you consent to doctors performing surgical procedures to allow long-term use of a feeding tube and/or ventilator?
Also, consider who you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf. Your living will should also specify if you wish to donate your organs to other people in need of transplants, so consider your beliefs related to organ donation as well.
Before making a decision, seek input from experts you trust. Ask your medical provider about life-sustaining care to get their opinion. Medicare will usually cover the cost of a discussion related to advance care planning when it takes place during a health checkup, and residents of The Gardens at Barry Road senior living community can get free transportation to appointments in the Kansas City, MO, area. You can also discuss end-of-life care with a religious clergyman to get spiritual support when making your decision.
The Missouri Bar Association offers a printable advance care directives form that you can complete when you’re ready. When you finish filling it out, take two witnesses and appear before a notary so you can officially sign the document. The notary will then apply their stamp to make the document legal.
Once you have your living will, put it in a safe place and let your loved ones and caregivers know where to find it. You may also want to present a copy to your health care provider for their records.
As your health needs change, you may wish to modify your living will accordingly. For example, if you're diagnosed with a terminal illness, you may no longer wish to receive life-sustaining care. When you need to update your living will, repeat steps 4 and 5 and replace the old document with the new one.
A living will is an important part of end-of-life planning, and there are other things you can do to make it easier for your loved ones to settle your affairs when you pass away, such as:
