Agnes Karll Schwest Krankenpfleger. 1968 Jul;22(7):315. [A healthy person has a thousand wishes, a sick person only one]. [Article in German]. Berger R.
Your aunt is 90 years old. She is in the hospital after suffering a stroke and can't communicate with doctors.
As her only living relative, you get a call from the hospital. The doctor asks whether your aunt should be revived if her heart stops.
In these kinds of situations, a document called a living will can provide valuable information about someone's wishes.
| Since 2015, there is a new way to express certain health care wishes in advance: advance medical directives. Advance directives are different than living wills. |
A living will is a written document with your wishes regarding medical care. For example, you can indicate that you don't want to be kept alive using a respirator. The document will only be used if you can't make your own decisions or express yourself. A living will helps guide people who might have to make decisions for you.
In Quebec, there is no law specifically on living wills. However, they do have legal value because Quebec law says people have the right to agree to or refuse medical care. A living will is an extension of this right: it lets you express your wishes in advance about care you want or don't want.
Also, the law says that people who can agree to care on your behalf must consider any wishes you expressed in the past.
There are no special legal requirements regarding the document itself. You can even write it in the form of a simple letter.
But it can be a good idea to date it and sign it. You can also ask someone to witness your signature if you want.
You must be capable of making your own decisions when you make a living will. This means that you fully understand the document and its impact. For example, people suffering from advanced Alzheimer's often cannot create a living will because their ability to make decisions is severely affected.
It usually has two main parts. But as mentioned earlier, you have the final say about what to put in it.
First, you can say that you don't want medical personnel to give treatment that artificially prolongs your life.
It is a good idea to be specific about the treatments you don't want. Using vague terms can create confusion for medical staff and family and friends. For example, it can be a good idea to say that you don't want chemotherapy treatment, to be revived, to be maintained on life support, etc.
Another issue you can deal with in a living will is pain relief. You may want to say that you want your pain relieved even if this shortens your life or, on the contrary, that medical personnel should limit their palliative treatments.
Note that a living will is different from a will in which you say how you want your property dealt with after your death: a living will is used while you are alive, but not able to make your own decisions. The other kind of will is used after your death.
A living will only be used when you cannot express your wishes. This might be because of an illness, a coma or a total incapacity to express yourself verbally, physically or in writing.
Here is an example of a situation when a living will might be useful: Marcel must undergo surgery in a few days. His doctor warns him that the operation involves significant risks and it is possible that he will remain in a coma afterwards. Marcel decides to write a living will expressing his wishes for the end of his life, knowing that he might not be able to do so after the operation.
Yes. You can change or even destroy your living will at any time. Changes can be made in writing or verbally, but it is better to do them in writing. Also, make sure to inform your family, friends and medical staff of the changes.
In the same way that you must have all your mental abilities to make a living will, you must have them to change it too.
Any treating doctor must take into account a living will.
The doctor must check with you whether your living will still expresses your wishes, to the extent that this is possible.
If you can't confirm your wishes to the doctor, she will check with your relatives to try to take a decision that respects what you would have wanted.
Even if you have a living will, a doctor must still exercise professional judgment. A doctor can't rely on your living will without first evaluating your situation and deciding what is appropriate treatment. In other words, the doctor will evaluate your medical condition and then consider your wishes as expressed in your living will.
If someone has to make a decision on your behalf, a living becomes useful. It is an excellent reference point for the people who will have to make difficult choices, while trying to respect your wishes.
But as is the case with medical staff, a living will does not free your family and friends from the duty to make treatment decisions based on the particular situation. For example, the person who makes decisions should not accept or refuse treatment based only on what your living will says. This person must use the living will to see what you would have decided given the circumstances.
No. You are free to write it yourself or with the help of someone you chose.
However, lawyers and notaries can give you advice on writing the document, and especially on how to make it very clear.
No, but it is good idea to do this. If no one knows you have one, it might not be used.
If you don't give relatives or friends a copy, you can still tell someone where it is so they can find it quickly if necessary.
It can also be a good idea to put a copy of your living will in your medical record so medical personnel know your wishes.
Sending you good wishes for your quick recovery and good health. Get well soon ! Get Well Soon Messages. A Get- well Blessing Like a flower.
Once considered a “man’s disease,” we now know that cardiovascular disease affects people of all ages and races, and, in fact, is the leading cause of death for both men and women. About 630,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year — one in every four deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And each year, cardiovascular disease is responsible for 35 percent of deaths among American women over the age of 20, according the American College of Cardiology.
The good news? It’s easy to make a difference in your heart health, according to cardiologist Dr. Elsa-Grace Giardina, director of the Center for Women’s Health in the Division of Cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. And maintaining a healthy heart doesn’t need to feel daunting.
“Good health can be really straightforward and simple,” says Dr. Giardina, who is professor of medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Diet and physical activity are important parts of maintaining a healthy heart, but they are easier to master than most people think, she adds. “There are many myths associated with diet and confusion around the relationship between food and activity and your heart.”
Here, Dr. Giardina shares eight things she wishes people knew about their heart health — and the simple steps they can take to stay heart-healthy.
Welcome to:
The Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region's Send Well Wishes by Email site.
Well Wishes is designed to provide family and friends convenient access to patients or residents at facilities in the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region by using email to send get well messages.
Email is hand-delivered to patients/residents each week day. Email received after 7a.m. will not be delivered until the following business day. Email received during weekends or statutory holidays will be delivered on the following first business day. Email received after the recipient has been discharged will not be delivered.
All messages are confidential. Upon receipt, your email is printed, folded, taped, and delivered to the recipient's room. Please note that this system is designed for well wishes only. Any other type of messages (i.e. emails conducting personal business, containing questionable content or business/vendor solicitations) will not be delivered and will be deleted from the system.
Note:
This system is set up only to receive email. We cannot send outgoing replies or confirm that a patient is indeed registered.
For increased security and your protection, this form requires JavaScript to be enabled in order to be viewed and submitted. If you cannot see the form, please check your browser settings to enable JavaScript.
To send Well Wishes to a loved one or a friend please fill out the form below and click 'Send Message'.
The get-well wishes you write will depend a lot on your recipient and his or her specific health situation. Whether it's a minor injury or a serious.
If your friend or relative is feeling unwell, or staying in the hospital, the best thing you can do – apart from visiting them – sends a little Get well soon card or a small gift to let them know that they are in your thoughts and that you are wishing them quick recovery.
Beautiful get well soon flowers are available at SerenataFlowers.com and as for the card, there are over 40 ideas for getting Well Soon Quotes and messages:
sources: wishesmessages.com and wishesgreeting.com
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Lily Calyx is our in-house flower whisperer, an expert on all things botanical and an enthusiastic orchids collector. She loves discussing the insights of the secret world of flowers, shares her gardening tips and hacks and moons over the latest additions to Serenata Flowers flower range. Ask Lily anything about flowers and we can guarantee she will have the answer.
However, knowing your wishes can give your family peace of mind if they need to make health care decisions for you because you are not able. It is important to.
