How does a living will differ from a durable power of attorney for health care?
• A living will is a self-declaration to the attending physician, health care provider and family that certain life-sustaining procedures should or should not be withheld or withdrawn if you are in a terminal condition and unable to decide for yourself. A medical durable power of attorney or durable power of attorney for health care directs another person as your attorney-in-fact or agent to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make them. The agent or attorney-in-fact is not restricted to making decisions about terminally ill patents or decisions about life-sustaining procedures.
A living will is a self-declaration to the attending physician, health care provider and family that certain life-sustaining procedures should or should not be withheld or withdrawn if you are in a terminal condition and unable to decide for yourself. A medical durable power of attorney or durable power of attorney for health care directs another person as your attorney-in-fact or agent to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to make them. The agent or attorney-in-fact is not restricted to making decisions about terminally ill patents or decisions about life-sustaining procedures. Should a person have both a living will and durable power of attorney for health care? The decision to have one or more advance health care directives is a personal decision. To decide what form of an advance health care directive should be created requires a knowledge of what each document does for you and whether you have someone who has consented to act as your attorney-in-fact. In addition
