Living Will Creation in Wisconsin

How Living Wills Work

Living Wills typically are activated if two (2) doctors determine that the person is in a persistent vegetative state or has a terminal condition, and the person cannot communicate his or her wishes regarding healthcare. This is otherwise known as “incapacitation.” An example of such a state would be a person who is suffering from an indefinite coma that doctors do not believe he or she will ever wake up from. Sometimes living wills are called “Do Not Resuscitate” documents or a “Declaration to Physicians.” Either way, they are instructions to your future doctors about how to handle your end-of-life care. Many people create living wills because they do not want to put the emotional burden of making the decision to take them off of life support or a feeding tube on their family members’ shoulders. Such clients would rather make the tough decision for the family themselves, ahead of time. Some clients are also adamant about “not living on a machine” and experiencing an associated reduced quality of life. If a person does not have a Living Will, then his or her healthcare power of attorney will likely be asked and responsible for making the hard decision.