A Living Will is a document directing that your physician not take extraordinary medical steps to prolong your life in the event you are suffering from a terminal illness or injury from which you have little possibility of recovering.
If you feel strongly about avoiding prolonged and expensive medical care in hopeless situations, you may also wish to utilize a Medical Power of Attorney. A Medical Power of Attorney is a document by which you appoint another trusted person (usually a spouse or a child) to act on your behalf in the event you are unable to act for yourself, with regard to the hard decisions that must be made if you are terminally ill.
Arkansas law specifically recognizes the validity of Living Wills and Medical Powers of Attorney. Both documents serve to clearly communicate your wishes to both your physicians and your family. While there are no perfect solutions in resolving the delicate matter of continued medical care for the terminally ill, our law firm recommends that you utilize both Living Wills and Medical Powers of Attorney as the best means available to bring common sense to the health care decision making process.