So many of us put the idea of dying out of our minds with : “too early !” - “there will be time later” to consider the when and how of the dying process. But when the time comes, and should you find yourself helpless in hospital, connected to life-supporting machines, although this is not at all your wish, somebody should be there to speak up for you.

It is important therefore to commit your ideas and wishes to paper in the form of a Living will. This applies not only to the elderly, but also to young people who could find themselves in a desperate situation due to accidents, sports or incurable, debilitating or terminal illness.

With an Advance Decision (formally known as a living will) you decide what should happen if you are seriously ill with little chance of recovery. You make sure it is not left to your next of kin to make life and death decisions on your behalf and it informs medical staff about how you wish to be treated should you no longer be able to communicate your wishes to your medical team.

No doctor or nursing staff is allowed to ignore the validly expressed wishes of a patient’s Advance Decisions and to insist on a treatment against these expressed wishes.

An Advance Decision can be changed or cancelled at any time.

What to do with my Living will ?

•it is important that you discuss your Living will with your GP so that you know whether he/she would have reservations about implementing your wishes;

•discuss your wishes with those close to you and make sure of their agreement to implicate them, should this be necessary. Mention their name, address and tel. number on your will;

•make several copies, to be given to your next-of-kin mentioned in your will;

•give a copy to your doctor to be added to your medical file;

•on admission in a hospital, for an operation with general anaesthetics, discuss it with your surgeon and anaesthesist for the eventuality of complications (re-animation);

•keep a copy or two in your home .. desk or bedside;

•always carry a copy with you, this is made possible through your member-card which mentions a short version of this will (in French and German).

N.B.
•with your member card of ADMD-L, you testify the seriousness of your will ;
•this is YOUR will, so don’t hesitate to add other points important to you;
•you can change or revoke this will at any time.

ADMDL- has elaborated a formula for this document available to our members. For information, don’t hesitate to contact by mail
or by telephone/fax (352) 2659 0482