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Due to the explosion of interest in living wills as a result of the Terri Schiavo crisis, HALT is offering free living wills for consumers in every state. Filled out properly, a living will is a powerful tool to ensure that you receive only the care you want if you become unable to express your wishes. Every state's living will now also has a Health Care Proxy or Durable Power of Attorney form attached. A will is a document you use to state who should receive your property when you die. It becomes effective only upon your death. A living will (also known as a healthcare directive), on the other hand, is a document that goes into effect while you are still alive. It declares that you do not want to be kept alive by artificial life support systems. A living will usually becomes effective when your condition is hopeless and you have no reasonable chance of recovery to a life you consider meaningful. A power of attorney for health care, also known as a health care proxy, is a legal document in which you authorize another person to have specified legal authority to act on your behalf. This person, called either an "attorney in fact" or an "agent" (although the person need not be a lawyer), makes health-care decisions as you have directed in your living will.
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