Today, April 16, 2018, is National Healthcare Decision Day. Today is the day that we should all take a minute and ensure that we have Living Wills, and that we review them to make sure that they reflect our current wishes about end-of-life treatment options.  

Living Wills are generally used by individuals to set out end-of-life instructions while they are able to do so, and state whether or not they want heroic and life-saving measures if they are in an end-stage medical condition and two qualified physicians indicate that there is no realistic hope of recovery.

The choice you make will determine whether or not, or under what circumstances and for how long, your life is prolonged when you are permanently unconscious, terminally ill, vegetative, or comatose in the end stage of your life.  

While I am using the definition generically and the medical terms are much more precise, it certainly gets the point across as to the importance of the document. It is important to put your wishes in writing so that your loved ones know exactly what you want if you are in that end stage of life.  

Putting your wishes in writing relieves your loved ones from being forced to make the most difficult decision of all at a very difficult time for them, whether to “pull the plug” on a loved one. Your Living Will allows you to make that decision for yourself, so that your family members do not have to, and so they are assured and comforted by knowing that at the end of your life, you were treated and cared for in exactly the way you wanted.  

Happy Healthcare Decision Day, and use the day to take time to protect yourself and your family by setting out in writing your treatment wishes.  If you need help just click here and let us know, we're happy to help you take the first step!

Jeffrey Bellomo