No one wants to think about palliative care, wills or living wills because we have a fear of death. A will can be one of the most important documents you ever write. If you do not have one you will not be able to select what family members you want to leave your property to. A living will, unlike a will, has no power over death and is created to express ones wishes for therapeutic treatment amid sickness. Palliative care is different from hospice because it does not only serve the dying but focuses on improving life and providing comfort for those with serious and life-threating illnesses (Kam). There can be serious consequences of dying without a will or not being able to let family know what type of medical care you wish receive if …show more content…
A will is a declaration of how a person wants their property to be distributed upon their death (Cheeseman) and can be changed throughout your life. It gives you the opportunity to provide guardians for your minor children as well as burial preferences. Without a will, someone must be appointed to act as an administrator over your estate. According to some state statues your property can be distributed to relatives and if there are no living relatives, the property escheats to the state (Cheeseman). At the end of the day if you die before you are able to write a will, you will not be able to exclude or include any beneficiaries and the fate of your family receiving your assets may be decided by the …show more content…
A living will, also known as advance directives, states which life-saving measures the signor does and does not want; can specify that he or she wants such treatment to stop if doctors determine that there is no hope of recovery (Cheeseman). Without a living will in place your family members and doctors have to play the guessing game when it comes to the type of treatment one wish to have if they are seriously ill and becomes unable to communicate or make those types of decisions for themselves. Although a living will lets healthcare professionals and family members know who should be informed or involved in treatment decisions (Haas), they may not benefit from new medical treatment if they are