A Living Will is a legal document which gives you the opportunity to state your wishes regarding life-prolonging treatment as well as artificially provided nutrition and hydration if or when you no longer have decision-making capacity, have a terminal condition, and become permanently unconscious with no hope of recovery, as determined by your attending physician and an additional physician. Only taking effect when you are terminally ill or in an irreversible state, it becomes your voice in decision-making as it relates to your medical care. You can direct that treatment be withheld or withdrawn and that you be allowed to die naturally with only the administration of medication for the relief of pain or the performance of any medical treatment deemed necessary to alleviate pain once you have reached a terminal or irreversible condition, as well as the withholding or withdrawal of artificially provided food, water, or other artificially provided nourishments or fluids, if you so desire. The directives you set forth in the Living Will are carried out by a Healthcare Surrogate.
