[Cerek]

Originally posted by Chewbacca: If anyone needs a living will here is a site to do one: http://www.legalzoom.com/legalzip/li...procedure.html Mine took about 5 minutes to do, though I'm still deciding on some of the options so I didn't finalize the purchase. I also wonder if $40.00 is a good deal and if I can goto office depot and pick up a kit cheaper to do myself.

Chewbacca - You should be able to get a Living Will from your local hospital for FREE!!! Just call the Registration Office (or go by) and ask for a Living Will form. You can take the form home and fill it out at your liesure, then return it to the healthcare facility of your choice. The staff at the facility can serve as witnesses to your signature and most healthcare facilities usually have a staff member that is also a notary public. The document WILL be legal and enforceable at ANY facility (not just the one that gives it to you). After filling the form out and having it signed, I suggest you get several copies made. Give one to the facility you plan to use in case of emergencies, give another to the facility your family doctor has privileges at (if they are different) and any other facility you think you might use for different situations.

The form will have a place to list ALL the facilities that have a copy of your Living Will. I personally have mine on file with 3 different facilities and have a copy to give to a 4th facility because that is where the gastroenterologist I see has privileges.

Each facility will place their copy of your Living Will in their Medical Records department. It becomes a permanent part of your medical record file and is perfectly legal. I suppose it could be challenged - just as ANY legal document could - but it IS enforceable and will make having YOUR wishes for medical treatment much easier to recieve or discontinue, as the case may be.

I stronly urge EVERYONE to call their local hospital, ask for Registration, and tell them you would like to pick up a Living Will form. I'll guarantee that every hospital in the nation is recieving MANY requests for these forms thanks to the Schiavo case, so they are going to ensure their documents ARE legally enforceable and readily available to any who want them.