A living will is a crucial document that outlines your wishes regarding medical treatment in the event that you cannot communicate them yourself. However, there may come a time when you wish to revoke or change those wishes due to changes in your health, life circumstances, or preferences. This article provides three practical examples that illustrate how and when to revoke a living will.
It is crucial to keep your living will updated, especially if your health condition changes significantly. For example, suppose you were diagnosed with a terminal illness and created a living will that specified no extraordinary measures should be taken to prolong your life. After undergoing treatment and experiencing an unexpected recovery, you may decide that you now want to receive all possible medical interventions.
In this case, you would need to revoke your previous living will. You can do this by drafting a new document that explicitly states:
“I, [Your Name], hereby revoke my previous living will dated [Date of Previous Living Will] and express my current wishes regarding medical treatment. I now wish to receive all life-prolonging measures that are medically appropriate.”
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Life events such as marriage can lead to a reevaluation of your living will. For instance, if you created a living will while single, your preferences regarding medical treatment may change after you marry. Your spouse may now be your primary decision-maker, and you might want to align your living will with your joint preferences.
To revoke your old living will, you could write:
“I, [Your Name], revoke my living will dated [Date of Previous Living Will] and declare that my spouse, [Spouse’s Name], is my healthcare proxy and will make decisions on my behalf. I wish for my treatment to align with our mutual understanding and discussions about my healthcare preferences.”
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Changes in personal beliefs or values can also prompt the revocation of a living will. For example, if you initially opted for a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order due to personal or religious beliefs but later experience a change of heart, you would want to revoke your previous living will.
The revocation can be articulated as follows:
“I, [Your Name], hereby revoke my living will dated [Date of Previous Living Will], and I no longer wish to have a do-not-resuscitate order in place. I wish to receive all life-saving measures and procedures as deemed appropriate by my healthcare providers.”
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By following these examples and ensuring that your living will reflects your current wishes, you can maintain control over your healthcare decisions even when you are unable to communicate them yourself.