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If someone you knew was being kept alive by a feeding tube, what is the likelihood that you would know his or her opinion on the subject of artificial life support? Could you take an educated guess? Would you just assume he or she agreed with your personally-held beliefs? How much easier would it be for you both if there were no ambiguity – or rather, some kind of a written record of everyone's individual choice? You have a constitutionally-guaranteed right to make all of your own decisions about whether or not you want to be kept alive via mechanical means for only minutes or for decades. You can make a legal record of your verdict by establishing a living will.
Use a living will to make a legal declaration about what you desire if you suffer an accident or otherwise require extraordinary medical treatment. Regardless of the advice of friends, family or doctors, you can decide now whether or not you want artificial nutrition or hydration used to keep you alive if you are declared beyond recovery.
A living will is a document which outlines very specific medical instructions concerning artificial life support. When an individual is in a coma or a vegetative state, he or she is no longer able to communicate desires for medical care. Today's effective life support systems can keep people alive for years, even if their brain no longer functions or they are in constant pain. A New York living will lets you decide now, as a competent adult, what you would like to happen if you find yourself in that situation.
A LegalZoom living will includes provisions to designate a health care agent; granting another person power of attorney, also called a health care proxy. LegalZoom can help you take control of your vital health care decisions quickly and easily. Simply fill out our free, online questionnaire and get your own, customized New York living will in three easy steps.
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