The Importance of Making a Living Will

Setting up a living will to provide legal instructions on your preferences for medical care includes naming a health care proxy. Dmytro Zinkevych/Shutterstock

A living will provides people a way to direct future health care decisions by documenting them before one becomes unable to do so. It cannot be overridden by the family once created. The document differs from a last will and testament that deals specifically with one’s property and assets.

A living wills is also known as an “advance healthcare directive.” It provides family members with guidelines for how you want your healthcare to proceed once you are mentally incapacitated.

Benefits of a Living Will

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) points out that having this document will help prevent family arguments because your desires for end-of-life situations are delineated. Since it will often be a time when emotions run high, it will also help limit the need for someone to make decisions that others may not agree with—or that may leave someone feeling guilty for years to come.