Massachusetts Living Wills 101
These statutes aim to safeguard a person's right to say no to medical interventions. In most states, these documents are legally binding and can assure that an attending physician who implements patient's wishes will be free from any liability.
What is a Living Will?
A living will is a written document that is legally binding and would take effect only when the creator becomes incapacitated to make autonomous and informed decisions about his or her medical care. If you decide to make one, you can specifically express your wishes with regard to what types of treatment you want to receive or decline.
A lot of people prefer to steer clear of life-sustaining interventions that only function in prolonging life without improving its quality. They can definitely make their objections clear by writing a living will. On the other hand, individuals who want to express their preference to receive all types of medical treatment – to sustain life and consequently delay death – may do so through this legal document.
The instructions – or advanced directives – contained in a living will are typically designed to take effect if you fall into any of the following circumstances:
1) terminal illness
2) persistent vegetative state (PVS) or permanent coma
3) conscious yet with permanent brain damage and will in no way recover the capacity to make autonomous decisions and/or convey your wishes
In the creation of a living will, the common law states that for as long as the person is competent to determine for himself/herself, he or she possesses the right of self-determination. It basically means that only the person can decide what type of treatment will be done unto him or her. Integrated into the right of self-determination is the right to accept/decline medical intervention.
Courts all over the country have maintained that the advance directives or living will drawn up by an able individual should be respected even when he or she is no longer considered competent. In 1990, the Supreme Court released a definition of what a "competent person" really is. According to the statement, he or she has the autonomy to refuse treatment under the constitution's due process clause.
Although it is common to see advanced directives that attempt to cover a wide range of situations, it is still a better idea to express your health care wishes specifically. You may even spell the words out in the document or plan a small discussion with your health care team about the matter.
The substantiation of both written and verbal proof aids in ensuring that your wishes will actually be carried out. Some examples of common interventions that you should deal with include artificial hydration and nutrition, cardiac resuscitation, mechanical ventilation, pain medications, antibiotics, etc.
Massachusetts living wills possess the same features as that of a standard living will. However, due to the lack of state laws that govern the creation of application of this legal document, certain features may be absent.
Then again, what matters the most is not the add-ons but the typical functions and benefits they offer.
Article Provided By:
Mad Cash Club Pro Membership - Get your own Home Business up and running Today! Without the Hassle!
Sage Runner - Affordable Advertising for your Website or Business.
Comments
Return To The
Website Directory
Menu
Articles
Living Wills And How They WorkQuestions Worth Asking About Advance Directives And Living Wills
The Ultimate Guide In Making A Louisiana Living Will
The Details Of California Living Will Forms
Step One: Get Free Living Wills Online
Ohio Living Wills And Other Advance Directives
Facing The Difficult Task Of Making Living Wills
Living Will Forms And How They Work
Living Wills And Power Of Attorney
The Basic Details About Kentucky Living Wills
Take Your Pick: Living Wills Or Living Trusts
Exploring The Contents Of Living Wills
Living Wills And The Extent Of Your Options
Advanced Directives And Living Wills In Nebraska
Living Wills: How To Plan For The Future
The Limitations And Alternatives Of Missouri Living Wills
Living Wills And The Terry Schiavo Case
Living Wills: Putting Your Refusal Into Writing
Knowing The Pros And Cons Of Living Wills
Living Wills: Your Right, Your Choice
Differentiating A Living Will And A Living Trust
Living Wills For Health Care
The Advantages Of Living Wills And Living Trusts
Massachusetts Living Wills 101
Articles Differentiating A Living Will And A Living Trust The two terms living will and living trust may seem a bit.. Exploring The Contents Of Living Wills Although a lot of people have heard and known about what a.. Living Wills: How To Plan For The Future Illness, severe injury and death are delicate subjects that are not easy to talk.. Living Wills: Your Right, Your Choice Every person has the right to self-determination especially on the subject of.. |
|
|
|
Loading...
|
Related News:
Malcolm Calvert to appeal against 'excessive' 21-month jail term for insider trading (source: Topix.net)The 21-month jail term handed on Thursday to a former Cazenove partner found guilty of insider trading has been described as "excessive" by his lawyers, who said they would launch an appeal against the conviction. (source: Topix.net) - RSS news feeds and Widgets on Feedzilla.com Read more...LawCrossing: over 100,000 Legal Jobs Consistently (source: Topix.net)If you are in the legal sector, you should not give up hope in obtaining your new legal career. (source: Topix.net) - RSS feeds and Feed widget on Feedzilla.com Read more...Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses in Excess of $200,000 From Investment in Ormat Technologies, Inc. to Inquire About the Lead Plaintiff Position in Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Before the May 10, 2010 Lead Plaintiff Deadline (source: Market Wire)STEVENSON, MD--(Marketwire - March 12, 2010) - Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Or... (source: Market Wire) - News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com Read more...Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses in Excess of $250,000 From Investment in Medivation, Inc. to Inquire About the Lead Plaintiff Position in Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Before the May 10, 2010 Lead Plaintiff Deadline (source: Market Wire)STEVENSON, MD--(Marketwire - March 12, 2010) - Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of purchasers of the com... (source: Market Wire) - RSS feeds and Feed widget on Feedzilla.com Read more...Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses in Excess of $50,000 From Investment in Novelos Therapeutics, Inc. to Inquire About the Lead Plaintiff Position in Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Before the May 4, 2010 Lead Plaintiff Deadline (source: Market Wire)STEVENSON, MD--(Marketwire - March 12, 2010) - Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts on behalf of purchasers of the common st... (source: Market Wire) - RSS widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com Read more...Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses in Excess of $50,000 From Investment in Electronic Game Card, Inc. to Inquire About the Lead Plaintiff Position in Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Before the May 3, 2010 Lead Plaintiff Deadline (source: Market Wire)STEVENSON, MD--(Marketwire - March 12, 2010) - Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of purchasers of the comm... (source: Market Wire) - RSS feeds and Feed widget on Feedzilla.com Read more...Brower Piven Encourages Investors Who Have Losses in Excess of $200,000 From Investment in Smithtown Bancorp, Inc. to Inquire About the Lead Plaintiff Position in Securities Fraud Class Action Lawsuit Before the April 26, 2010 Lead Plaintiff Deadline (source: Market Wire)STEVENSON, MD--(Marketwire - March 12, 2010) - Brower Piven, A Professional Corporation announces that a class action lawsuit has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on behalf of purchasers of the common... (source: Market Wire) - RSS feeds and Feed widget on Feedzilla.com Read more...Property Attorney Michael J. Leonard Joins Philadelphia IP Boutique... (source: Topix.net)DOYLESTOWN, PA, March 12, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP, a Philadelphia intellectual property law firm, is pleased to welcome veteran trademark attorney Michael J. Leonard to the fold. (source: Topix.net) - News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com Read more...Federman & Sherwood Announces That a Securities Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN) (source: Market Wire)OKLAHOMA CITY, OK--(Marketwire - March 11, 2010) - On March 9, 2010, a class action lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Medivation, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDVN). The complaint alleges violations of ... (source: Market Wire) - News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com Read more...Podcast: Highlights from the L.A. Business Journal (source: Topix.net)Editor Charles Crumpley provides highlights from the March 15 edition of the Los Angeles Journal Business. (source: Topix.net) - RSS and News widget on Feedzilla.com Read more... |