Learn More About Living Wills in Colorado 

Ever wonder how long doctors will keep you on life support if you are in a vegetative state in Colorado? Do you have preferences for how long you would like to be kept on life-sustaining procedures in an end-of-life situation? Living wills let you provide the answer.

In our opinion, living wills are the most important documents we draft for people. This medical directive allows you to decide how you want to be treated in an end-of-life situation. Not only do they take this incredibly stressful decision out of your loved ones’ hands, but living wills also let you decide how you want to be treated while you still have capacity to do so.

Want to get your decision in writing and make it legally binding? Call our office at (720) 513-2299 to schedule a free consult with one of our lawyers. You can also schedule online.

What Exactly is a Living Will?

A living will is an advanced medical directive that allows you to say how long you would like to be kept on life support in an end-of-life situation. This document is morbidly referred to as the “pull-the-plug” document and applies under very strict circumstances. 

Bascially, two doctors have to say that:

• You have a terminal condition or are in a persistent vegetative state
• That condition is permanent
• Life support or other life-sustaining procedures are the only thing keeping you alive
• You cannot communicate or understand any information given to you
   

Once all of the above factors have been met, then doctors will look to your living will for guidance on how you wish to be treated.

What Are My Options Under A Living Will In Colorado?

When filling out your Colorado living will, you have a few different decisions to make regarding your various options. First, you must decide how long you want to be on life support when the above factors have been met. This means you can choose to stay on life support forever, choose to have life support withdrawn immediately, or you can pick something in between. Some people will choose a set amount of days, like 3 or 7, to give family enough time to visit and say their final goodbyes prior to life support being withdrawn.

Second, you have to decide if you want different types of life-sustaining procedures to be handled differently than other types. For instance, do you want the feeding tube to be withdrawn at the same time as the breathing machine? Do you want an IV longer than another type of life support? A skilled lawyer can guide you through all of these decisions.

Finally, you will want to choose whether or not your medical power of attorney can override your decisions under your living will.

Contact Althaus Law In Northglenn or CO Springs for Living Will Help

Feel free to give us a call at (720) 513-2299, or ask us your living will questions online. Attorneys Jeff Althaus and Cristyn Kelly are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.