Living Wills

Living wills are not really wills at all. Instead, a living will (which also may be known as a healthcare directive or directive to physicians) is a document that expresses a person's desires and preferences about medical treatment in case he or she becomes unable to communicate these instructions during terminal illness or permanent unconsciousness. The first living wills helped people who wanted a natural death unattended by artificial life support and other advanced medical techniques. As these documents became more popular and widely available under local laws, they came to include other health care concerns such as tube feeding, resuscitation, and organ donation. While living wills are allowed in all states, they sometimes must follow certain formalities to be effective. If valid, a living will binds health care providers to its instructions.