What are living wills?

• A. A document listing a patient’s medications
• B. A consent form for clinical trials
• C. A legal document that designates a person to make financial decisions
• D. Documents that direct treatments according to a patient's wishes in the event of death

Answer: (D)

Living wills are advance directives that tell clinicians what medical care a person wants if they can’t communicate their wishes, usually at the end of life. They spell out preferences about life-sustaining treatments—like whether to be resuscitated, placed on a ventilator, or fed by tubes—and emphasize the kind of care the person wants to receive to maintain comfort and dignity. They’re a way for patients to maintain autonomy even when they can no longer speak for themselves, and they’re often part of broader advance care planning that may include designating someone to make decisions if the wishes aren’t clear. They differ from documents that list medications, consent forms for research, or those that appoint someone to handle financial affairs, which aren’t about medical treatment decisions.