Living Will

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Apr 6, 2025.

What is a living will?

A living will is a type of medical advance directive. It is a legal document that tells healthcare providers about the medical care you want in situations where you cannot communicate your wishes. Some medical treatments can prolong your life, even when recovery is not possible. If you are not likely to recover, a living will can list the treatments you want and do not want.

Why may I want to have a living will?

If you are in the hospital, you or your family will be asked if you have any advance directives, such as a living will. Without these documents, your healthcare providers may give you treatments to prolong your life. You may receive treatments you do not want. Some treatments can keep you alive for months or years, but you may not be conscious or aware. You may want to limit your treatments, but your family may want you to have all treatments. A living will can help your healthcare providers follow your treatment wishes.

When does a living will take effect?

A living will takes effect when you cannot make your own medical decisions. Healthcare providers will decide if you can no longer make medical decisions. Depending on the state you live in, 1 or 2 doctors must decide the following:

You can no longer communicate your care wishes. You may be unconscious or in a coma, and unable to tell healthcare providers what care you want.
You lack mental capacity to make decisions. You can communicate, but your ability to make decisions has changed. You are not able to understand the choices that need to be made about your medical care. You may not understand how these choices can affect you.
You have a terminal condition or are in a vegetative state. This condition must fall under the living will law in your state. You are not expected to get better from a terminal condition. Your providers expect that the condition will cause your death. Each state may define terminal illness in different ways. A vegetative state is when you have a severe brain injury and never fully wake up. This can be a long lasting or permanent condition. Your mental functions are reduced or lost, but your basic body functions still work. You are not able to communicate, interact with others, or live as you did before.

What do I need to think about when I prepare my living will?

Think about the situations where you may want to limit your medical treatments. Consider the treatments you may want if you were in a long-term coma or permanent vegetative state. Treatment options may include the following:

All treatments to try to save your life.
All treatments, but stop them if they are not working within a certain time.
Only treatments that do not cause pain or discomfort.
Only palliative (comfort) care. Comfort care provides medicine to help reduce pain, but not treatments to save or prolong your life.

What treatments can be covered in a living will?

You can make decisions to have or not have treatments to prolong your life. These decisions can be made before you need them. You can choose to stop, limit, or not have certain medical treatments. Think about how long you want to continue to live and how you want to feel. Some of your treatment choices include:

Types of treatments such as medicines, ventilator care, or dialysis. Consider the treatments you always want to receive and those you never want to have.
Short-term and long-term treatment decisions may include limiting or extending the amount of time you want to receive life support treatments.
Invasive tests and treatments may prolong your life, even when recovery is no longer possible. These can include lab tests, blood transfusions, antibiotic treatment, and surgery.
Artificial nutrition and hydration may be needed if you are unconscious or cannot swallow. Fluids and nutrients may be given into your vein through an IV or into your stomach through a feeding tube.
Life support treatments can take over when some of your organs no longer work. If you cannot breathe on your own, you may need a ventilator machine. If your kidneys stop working, you may need dialysis to remove wastes from your blood.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be used to try to restart your heart if it stops beating. Consider when and how long you want CPR if you have a terminal disease or are in a long-term coma. If you do not want CPR, you can add a DNR (do not resuscitate) order to your living will. A copy of the DNR order must also go in your medical records.

In what situations may I want to limit treatment?

Think about the following situations. Then think about the treatment you would want if there is little chance you will get better:

You cannot walk, but you can use a wheelchair.
You have constant and severe nausea or diarrhea.
You cannot control when you urinate or have bowel movements.
You need healthcare providers to feed, bathe, and help you with toileting.
You must use a ventilator to breathe.
You must use a feeding tube to eat.
You need kidney dialysis to live.
You cannot think or communicate well.
You no longer know your family or friends.
You are in constant or severe pain.

Do living will forms allow me to express my values, beliefs, and quality of life preferences?

Your living will should focus on your wishes about medical treatments and care at the end of your life. Your will can include certain religious or cultural practices you want done. Think about the following:

Your fears about the end of your life.
Your pain relief choices.
Your religious beliefs and things you want others to know. Practices such as prayers or blessings, that you want followed before you die.
The people you want with you at the end of your life.

How do I prepare a living will?

Talk with your family and healthcare providers about your care wishes. They may have questions that can help you prepare your living will. Your healthcare provider may not agree with your wishes. If this happens, you will need to find another healthcare provider to help you.
Review your medical treatment options. Ask your providers to explain anything you do not understand.
Write down any other end-of-life instructions you want followed. This includes burial or cremation, and whether you want to be at home or in a care facility when you die.
Complete your living will form. Ask your provider for the forms or worksheets that are used for your state. Each state has rules for living wills and other advanced directives. Most states allow advanced directives prepared in one state to be used in another state. You may still want to create living wills for more than one state if you travel often or spend time in another state.
Sign and witness your living will according to your state's rules. Many states require at least 1 witness to watch you sign the form. The witness must be someone who is not your relative, healthcare provider, or legal agent. Some states will not accept your living will as valid without the right witnesses. Check with your lawyer about the state laws for living wills.

How do I make sure that my wishes are known?

Tell healthcare providers and family or friends that you have a living will. This will help everyone understand your wishes. Keep a card in your wallet or purse that says you have a living will.
Keep the original and make copies of your living will. Keep your original document in a safe place that is easy to find. Do not hide or put your living will in a locked place, or in your safe deposit box at the bank. Give your healthcare providers and family members copies of your living will. Make sure healthcare providers put a current copy in your medical records.
Consider other places to keep copies of your living will. Some states have registries that keep copies of your living will and other advance directives. Some services allow healthcare providers to access your living will by computer. Your church or house of worship may also be able to store a copy of your living will.

When should I review my living will?

You can change or cancel your living will at any time. You may fill out new living will forms according to your state's rules. Review your living will every 10 years or when you move to a new state. You should also review your living will after major life events such as death or divorce. Rethink your living will if your health worsens or you are diagnosed with a health condition. After updating your living will, destroy old copies. Give copies of your new living will to your family and healthcare providers.

Further information

Caring Connections
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
1731 King Street, Suite 100
Alexandria , VA 22314
Phone: 1- 800 - 658-8898
Web Address: http://www.caringinfo.org

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about living wills and how they are used. You can then discuss treatment options with your healthcare providers. Work with them to decide what care will be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer