Pennsylvania Living Will Declaration Form
Due to the advances in modern medical science, it is possible to artificially prolong life. This inevitably divides schools of thought. There are some people who think that being hooked up to a life support system is not agreeable, and those that having had life prolonging measures administered, think that nobody has the right to “pull the plug” on life. It is obvious that the only person with the right to make this decision is the patient, and the only way that the wishes of a patient can be taken into account with no argument is via a living will declaration.
Although you may not have thought of this concept, the more you weigh up the pros and cons of a living will directive, you will begin to realise that it is not such a bad idea. By putting your wishes into writing you will ensure that your chosen health care outcome will happen. Planning and preparation are vital to achieving your wishes.
There are many reasons why people would choose to refuse medical treatment, but most would fall into two distinct areas.
The first being when the overall benefit of medical intervention, particular medication or procedure was not substantial enough to outweigh the associated discomfort and risk to the patient. In this case the patient may choose to refuse treatment.
The second area for refusal of treatment would be the existence of intolerable circumstances such as tube feeding when used as a life sustaining intervention when given to a patient with an irreversible condition like vegetative state. This could be interpreted by some people as prolonging the suffering of both patient and the immediate family.
If you want certain types of treatment to be withheld when you are no longer able to make those decisions for yourself, then specifying your wishes by writing a living will would be the answer.
Take a look here for more living wills information. You can also find information regarding the options available to you regarding living will documents, writing wills, legal advice and extensive help from the experts.
PA Time for Choosing pt 1 of 2
