Living Will vs. Medical POA: Which Is Best?

General Overview of Living Wills

It’s important that you make arrangements for medical care before you really need it. However, there are a few ways that you can go about this. Two of the most common options are the living will and the medical power of attorney. Which one is better? We’ll explain each option in more detail to kelp you pick the best plan.

Your family will thank you for your careful planning.

What is a Medical Power of Attorney?

A medical power of attorney designated a person to act on your behalf. If you become incapacitated, this is the person who will make all of your healthcare decisions, including surgeries, medicines, and even termination of life. This privilege doesn’t kick in until you become incapacitated and are unable to make the decisions yourself.

You and your medical power of attorney should have the same wishes regarding your healthcare. You both will have your best interests at heart, but you both may have different ideas of what that means.

Have you prepared for your future?

What is a Living Will?

A living will provides instructions for end-of-life care. This document goes into effect if you enter a totally vegetative state and addresses concerns such as resuscitation and life support. A living will make it easier for your loved ones to make the most difficult decisions. That because you’ll actually be the one giving that call.

Why Not Both?

A living will outline your wishes when you are in a severe medical state. Up until the point where there is practically no hope of recovery, someone else will be responsible for your medical decisions. If you don’t appoint a medical power of attorney, the hospital staff might make those decisions. In that case, it’s never certain which decisions will be made. Even if this doesn’t concern you much, your family may have additional peace of mind if you appoint someone special to make those decisions. However, when it comes to deciding whether to terminate your life, you can spare your loved ones lots of grief with a living will. As you can see, having both ensures that you receive the care that you want, up to the very end.

The Fetty Firm can help you prepare and legalize both your medical power of attorney and your living will. Call us today at (214) 546-5746 to learn how to get started with drafting these documents. You can also click here to contact us online, and click here to learn more about living wills.

Steven Long