An Oklahoma Living Will - sometimes confused with an Advance Directive - is a crucial part of a patient's medical records, which all too often do not indicate the appropriate palliative care measures the patient desires. Most people do not have adequate paperwork when illness strikes. In the absence of a legal will, all decisions about medical care become the responsibility of the spouse, the children, and other family members - or even a third party. These people may not be aware of the patient's wishes, or they may not choose to follow the patient's unwritten verbal directives.
In most states, a person can extend their will to cover dangerous situations - like severe injuries or situations when the doctors expect the patient to remain unconscious for the rest of their life even if terminal illness or a life-threatening injury is not currently present.
An Oklahoma Living Will is defined and regulated by Title 63 (Public Health and Safety) of the Oklahoma Statutes . The document is not valid if the patient is pregnant and must be signed before two (2) witnesses.
Download a ready-made template by clicking the link below or make your own Living Will with our form builder .
A Living Will is a legal document that specifies the type of medical care that an individual does or does not want in the event if they are unable to communicate their wishes. Living Wills come into play only when one faces a life-threatening condition and is unable to assert their specific desires regarding treatment.
In the case when an individual suffering from a terminal illness or with a life-threatening injury falls unconscious, hospitals and doctors must refer to their will to determine whether or not the patient wanted life-sustaining treatment, such as tube feeding or assisted breathing.
An individual can print a will to pre-organize their health care in the future situation, to prevent major arguments between family members, to control any necessary medical treatments and procedures and to reduce potential extra medical bills.
A basic Living Will template can be completed without a lawyer or an attorney. In order to create a will in Oklahoma, an individual must be competent, be wanting to complete all paperwork voluntarily and sign the document.
A legal Living Will can be either very broad or very specific in nature according to the wishes of the patient. It is basically the patient's declaration - a written statement of what they want to occur in the event of a serious accident or illness. It is primarily directed to the medical personnel and focuses on the type of care the patient wishes to have or wishes not to have, under situations of terminal illness or incapacitation.