Advanced Directives

also known as Living Wills or Advance Directives

Advanced Directives at Cottingham Legal

  Making informed decisions about your health and ensuring that your wishes are fulfilled should things change with your health.

The first realisation about serious illnesses is often when someone we know or more emotionally, someone we care for, experiences terminal conditions.

If you have not made plans before the diagnosis of a serious illness, or if you are unable to mentally make an informed decision, your wishes may not always be applied.  

By planning ahead, you can ensure that your wishes will be honoured by creating an assisted directive, otherwise known as a Living Will or an advanced directive. 

An assisted directive lets your family, carers and health professionals know in advance your wishes such as what treatment you wish to have and those treatments that you wish to refuse if you're unable to make or communicate those decisions yourself. 

All end-of-life decisions should respect the person’s values and wishes while maintaining their comfort and dignity.

Advance directives can include: 

• Deciding which treatments to receive or refuse 

• Designating a person or people to make decisions on the patient's behalf 

• Specifying the use of intravenous fluids, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and other procedure

Deciding to refuse a treatment is not the same as asking someone to end your life or help you end your life as Euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK. 

Advance directives aren't just for older adults. Unexpected end-of-life situations can happen at any age, so it's important for all adults to prepare these documents.

By planning ahead, you can get the medical care you want, avoid unnecessary suffering and relieve caregivers of decision-making burdens during moments of crisis or grief. You also help reduce confusion or disagreement about the choices you would want people to make on your behalf.

We can set up the relevant legal document to help you be in control, should you be no longer able to be in control so your wishes are made clear reducing the stress on you when you are ill and the people who care for you.  

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