What is a Living Will?
A living will is a legal document in which you direct whether your life will be prolonged by medical procedures in any of three circumstances: (1) you have an incurable or irreversible condition that will result in your death within a relatively short period of time; (2) you become unconscious and your health care providers determine that, to a high degree of medical certainty, you will never regain consciousness; and/or (3) you suffer from advanced dementia or any other condition which results in substantial loss of your cognitive ability, and your health care providers determine that, to a high degree of medical certainty, the loss is not reversible. In North Carolina, this is called an “Advance Directive for a Natural Death” or “Living Will.” A living will allows you to authorize or direct the withholding or withdrawal of life-prolonging treatments (for example, respirator care and artificial nutrition or hydration) that would only serve to delay your death. In a living will you may also direct the provision of artificial nutrition and/or artificial hydration, together with or separate from life-prolonging measures.