Part Two in a Four-Part Series
Welcome back to our series on essential legal documents to have while aging. Today, we dive into living wills—also known as advanced care directives. These are crucial for everyone, especially solo agers, to ensure your medical and end-of-life care preferences are honored when you may be unable to speak for yourself.
What Is a Living Will?
A living will is your voice when you can no longer communicate your medical preferences. This legal document outlines your wishes for medical treatment and end-of-life care, guiding healthcare providers and caregivers in scenarios like late-stage terminal illnesses, serious injury, coma, late-stage dementia, or end-of-life situations. Remember, living wills are only activated when you are unable to communicate your needs.
The Shortcomings of Living Wills
Through Big Retired Life’s research, we were surprised to find research showing that living wills have significant shortcomings. Aside from only 18% of adults having one, here are three main shortcomings:
- Failure to Provide Clear Guidance: Living wills often suffer from vague language that is broad and non-specific. Research by Ashley Whitefield in the Annals of Health Law underscores this issue, noting that living wills frequently fail to cover many complex scenarios that can arise at the end of life.
- Inaccessibility and Non-Availability: Living wills are often not available when needed most. According to research published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, only a tiny percentage of patients have living wills readily available in the settings where end-of-life decisions are made.
- Changing Preferences Over Time: People’s preferences for end-of-life care can evolve as their health status changes. Studies show that healthier individuals often think they would refuse aggressive treatments, while those with declining health might find such treatments more acceptable.
The Value of Creating a Living Will
Given these limitations, why bother with a living will? The process of creating one is where its true value lies. Drafting a living will promotes self-reflection and encourages deep contemplation about your values and medical preferences, helping you clarify what constitutes a good quality of life. Also, this process will prompt meaningful conversations with the important people in your life, ensuring everyone understands your wishes while reducing potential conflicts.
What to Consider When Creating a Living Will
If you are going to create a living will, here is a guide that can help. Keep the following tips in mind:
- Use Precise Language: Avoid ambiguity by using clear and specific language to articulate your medical preferences.
- Update when your health status changes: Update your living will after significant health changes. For instance, if diagnosed with a condition like Alzheimer’s, research the disease’s progression and the decisions you’ll need to make.
- Communicate Your Wishes: Discuss your living will with healthcare providers and the important people in your life to ensure they understand and respect your wishes.
Conclusion
Despite its shortcomings, creating a living will is an important step in preparing for end-of-life care. Remember, the process itself—promoting self-reflection and facilitating discussions—is where the value lies. Stay proactive, update your living will as your health evolves, and keep the conversation about end-of-life care ongoing with your healthcare providers and those important to you.
Stay tuned for part three of our series, where we’ll explore how to find a Healthcare proxy if you’re a solo ager.
Throughout this “Going It Alone” section of this blog, we will share learnings from others navigating retirement alone, so that you don’t have to do it all alone.