Form of Living Will
20th December 2008
LIVING WILL
I, [your name here], by this document voluntarily make known my desire that my dying shall not be artificially prolonged under the circumstances set forth below, and do hereby declare:
If at any time I should have a terminal condition and my attending physician has determined that there is no reasonable medical expectation of recovery and which, as a medical probability, will result in my death or severe mental or physical disability regardless of the use or discontinuance of medical treatment implemented for the purpose of sustaining life, or the life process, I direct that medical care be withheld or withdrawn, and that I be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medications or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to provide me with comfortable care or to alleviate pain.
ARTIFICIALLY PROVIDED NOURISHMENT AND FLUIDS:
I specifically authorize the withholding or withdrawal
of artificially provided food, water, or other nourishment or fluids.
ORGAN DONOR CERTIFICATION
Notwithstanding my previous declaration relative to the
withholding or withdrawal of life-prolonging procedures, if as indicated below I have expressed my desire to donate my organs and/or tissues for transplantation. I do direct my attending physician, if I have been determined dead according to standard British medical practice, to maintain me on artificial support systems only for the period of time required to maintain the viability of and to remove such organs and/or tissues.
I specifically desire to donate my organs and/or tissues for transplantation.
In the absence of my ability to give directions regarding my medical care, it is my intention that this declaration shall be honoured by my family and physician as the final expression of my wish to refuse medical care and accept the consequences of such refusal.
I understand the full import of this declaration, and I am emotionally and mentally competent to make this declaration.
In witness whereof, I do hereinafter affix my signature on this the day of 200-
In the presence of
Note: This Form of Living Will is discussed in the posting IT’S BEEN QUITE A WHILE .. which can be found here.
Make sure that your Living Will is properly witnessed. The original signed document should preferably be placed in the safe-keeping of a solicitor. Typically this will be the same solicitor who has safe-keeping of your Last Will and Testament. A copy or copies of the Living Will should be available or easily accessible to your Next of Kin and to other members of the family who will be involved in the event that you become seriously ill. Family members are apt to have different views on keeping their dear ones alive as long as possible, and on allowing doctors to remove organs and on keeping the heart and lungs functioning until they are ready. You need to ensure, therefor, that no one is in any doubt of your wishes and that those seeking to carry them out are armed with the necessary ammunition!