Your living will, in your own words. Your treatment wishes, on the record.

A living will (in some states a "declaration" or "directive to physicians") is a document that records the medical care you do and don't want if you become terminally ill or permanently unconscious and can no longer speak for yourself. Crucially, it names no one: it is your voice on paper, not a grant of authority to another person.

That's the single most common point of confusion: a living will is not a power of attorney and not a DNR. It doesn't appoint an agent (that's a medical POA) and it isn't a doctor's order (that's a DNR). It simply states your wishes, which then guide your family, your agent, and your doctors.

What it covers

• CPR and resuscitation if your heart or breathing stops

• Mechanical ventilation: being kept alive on a breathing machine

• Artificial nutrition and hydration: feeding tubes and IV fluids

• Dialysis and other life-prolonging treatment

• Comfort care: pain relief you always want, even if you decline other treatment

When it applies

A living will only takes effect when two things are true: you can no longer make your own decisions, and you're in a qualifying condition (usually terminal illness or permanent unconsciousness) certified by your physicians. While you can still speak for yourself, your own voice always controls.

The nuance most people miss: three states, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New York, have no living-will statute. A living will there can still guide your care, but the legally operative document is a healthcare proxy or patient-advocate designation. If you're in one of those states, your state page uses the form that actually carries weight.

Living will vs medical POA vs advance directive vs DNR

Pair your living will with a medical power of attorney so someone can act on decisions your wishes don't cover, together they make an advance directive. A DNR is separate: it's a physician's order for EMTs and hospitals, not something you write alone.