Living Will Form Here

[gardenista]

This Schiavo thing has completely blown me away, and has exposed a HUGE blindspot in my life. I did not, until 5 minutes ago, have a Living Will. I do now. It took me about 15 minutes, and now all I have to do is get it notarized.

Here is the site I used:

http://www.medlawplus.com/forminfo/livingwill.htm

There may be others that are better, but I only had a few minutes to do this, and I sure do feel a lot better having done it.

Everyone in my family is doing the same thing.

[American Tragedy]

1. I guess I'd better, since apparently my next-of-kin can just be overruled

by the federal government on a whim.

[Technowitch]

2. The whole Schiavo travesty has driven me batty

To the point where I have several hundred threads on Ignore now.

However, this is one point where I've made exceptions.

If you don't have a Living Will by now, what are you waiting for?!! For Tom Delay and Bill Frist to step up to make these decisions for you? Or some family member you absolutely cannot stand and don't trust? Or even for that matter any government official who can't possibly know precisely what you want?

This is the chance to put down, on paper, EXACTLY what treatments you do and don't want.

Do it now for Goddess sake.

[gardenista]

5. It was incredibly EASY to do this online!

I now have a document that I can get notarized tomorrow, and then I am done! It took 15 minutes and $7. I cannot think of anything better that I've done with so little money and time in a very, very long time. (Not counting all the good free things!)

[alittlelark]

3. Hubby and I signed ours a few years ago - everyone should do so

you can decide how much intervention you are willing to be subjected to.

Thanks for posting this, I hope many people fill one out.

[gardenista]

6. Yes, there are at least 5 VERY specific questions

so that you can chose EXACTLY what level of intervention you want.

For me, I chose to withold all treatment, except for pain medication, even if it would shorten my life.

[alittlelark]

7. Mine is a bit more intrusive (I'm in my 40's)

As I get older it will alter.

[Floogeldy]

4. Muchas gracias!

B-)

[madison2000]

8. No form for Wisconsin!

[gardenista]

9. Here is the form for Wisconsin folks.

I guess there is some sort of special legislation that requires different wording:

http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/forms/advdirectives/adformspoa.htm

[Sgent]

10. For Mississippi folks

Mississippi Department of Health.

This is a very comprehensive form, with instructions, which should be broadly applicable to anys state. Its also free.

It includes nomination of a guardian and succesor gaurdians, DNR orders with various levels (food, oxygen, etc)., Power of Attorney for Healthcare, etc.