Why I Will Never Sign A Living Will

What Is a Living Will?
A living will explains what you want medically when you can no longer communicate your desires.

My Mother and My Aunt Had Living Wills
Neither of them wanted to be kept for months or years on life support, so they had a lawyer draw up a document to say what life lengthening procedures they would and would not endure.

They told us about the documents.

Their Final Days
Mom fell, broke her hip and went in to have a pin put in. She was 79. The procedure was a success, but a week later, as she was recovering in extended care, she had ‘an event’. The doctor – riding on the gurney – called us on the phone to see if she should resuscitate. Of course we said yes, all had been going so well.

They brought her back but her lungs filled so she went on a respirator. It went from bad to worse. After two weeks, the doctors started pushing us to unplug her. THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT HER LIVING WILL.

Aunt M also fell, broke her hip and went in for that nasty pin surgery. She was 85. The procedure was a success. She was recovering in a home for several months but couldn’t seem to get back to normal. They put her back in the hospital, put her on feeding tubes, and pretty soon on breathing tubes. After a week, they pushed us hard to unplug here. THEY DID KNOW SHE HAD A LIVING WILL.

The Living Will Didn’t Make Any Difference
The doctors and nurses we dealt with in both cases pushed us hard to unplug our loved ones so they would die.

If a doctor or nurse pushes my loved ones to have me die, I darn sure want those doctors/nurses to be legally liable if they should not have been doing that!

So, I will not ever, ever sign a living will! Would you?