What is a Kentucky Living Will Directive and Health Care Surrogate Designation?

A living will directive is a legal document that allows you to express your wishes regarding medical treatment if you become unable to communicate them yourself. A health care surrogate designation names someone you choose to make health care decisions for you if you become unable to do so. Both are important to have if you want to make sure your wishes are followed in the event of a medical emergency.

Understanding Living Will Directives

A living will directive is also called an advance directive. It outlines the medical treatments you would, or would not, like to receive if you become critically ill or incapacitated. It also allows you to appoint an agent to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. In Kentucky, you must be 18 or older to make a living will directive.

What is Included in a Living Will Directive?

A living will directive can include your wishes regarding various medical treatments, such as:

• Life-sustaining treatments, such as respirators and feeding tubes
• Organ and tissue donation
• Pain relief medication
• Experimental treatments
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

You can also include instructions about how much pain relief medication you would like to receive, and when you would like to stop receiving treatments.

Understanding Health Care Surrogate Designations

A health care surrogate designation names someone to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. The surrogate has the same authority to make decisions as you would have if you were able to communicate them. In Kentucky, you must be 18 or older to make a health care surrogate designation.

How Can I Create a Living Will Directive or Health Care Surrogate Designation?

It is important to have a living will directive and a health care surrogate designation in place to ensure that your wishes will be followed in the event of a medical emergency. In Kentucky, these documents must be signed in the presence of two witnesses and notarized. You can find forms for both documents online, or you can speak to an attorney for assistance.