LIVING WILL

LIVING WILLS AND MENTAL CAPACITY

You can still make a living will if you're diagnosed with a mental illness, as long as you can show that you understand the implications of what you are doing. You need to be competent to make the decision in question, not necessarily to make other decisions. It's best to put your wishes in writing and explain:

• why you've made your decision about how you do or don't want to be treated
• what you understand about the treatment you're agreeing to or refusing
• why you're making these decisions now

WHO NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT A LIVING WILL?

It is important that after writing a living will, it is entered into your medical notes so that in an emergency it is found and acted upon, especially if your wishes include refusal of medical treatment. Consider sending a copy to your doctor and to any hospital which is treating you and also to your nearest relatives.

If your Living Will is verbal, make sure that close relatives or friends are fully aware of its content and your intentions in making it.

CHANGING A LIVING WILL

Good practice is to regularly review your ‘conventional’ will, so consider reviewing your Living Will on a regular basis too.

Be quite sure that you are happy with it, particularly if your situation changes. You can change or cancel it if you are able to think rationally and clearly explain what you want to happen. Ideally, put things in writing and destroy old versions.

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