No one wants to envision a day when making health care decisions has to be passed to someone else. Losing that kind of autonomy is frightening for many Delaware residents. However, what would be even more frightening is for that to occur without you having the chance to make those choices in advance. For this reason, the creation of a living will is a crucial part of elder law and estate planning.
The advances in medical technology that allow you to live longer are amazing feats of engineering and ingenuity. However, that does not mean that you want those technologies to extend your life in particular. As many people go through their lives, they begin to realize that quality is often more important than quantity when it comes to the length of your life.
If you are like many other Delaware residents, you may not want your life extended if it means that you can’t enjoy your family, friends or even a sunset. A living will allows you to limit the end-of-life and lifesaving measures that medical personnel can take under certain circumstances. You can also appoint someone you trust to make those decisions that you might not have considered in your living will, but that person should be clear on what your wishes are.
Many people attempt to use a do-it-yourself living will. However, those forms cannot account for certain requirements you might have. For instance, a fill-in-the-blank form will more than likely not consider your religious beliefs. Instead, you will likely end up with a living will that fulfills your wishes if you enlist the advice and assistance of an elder law attorney.