Living Will Day

[richlevy]

A few weeks ago I went to Legaldocs printed out four living wills, one each for my wife and me, and another set for our friends. The recommended methods for putting them into effect are to have it notarized or to have two witnesses sign it who are not relatives or executors of the estate.

So tonight we are going over to their house to have dinner and witness each others wills. Fun.

Still it's a small price to pay for not being the next Terri Schaivo, or having my wife go into bankruptcy to keep my brain dead corpse alive for a decade.

At least I don't have to worry about some relative walking into a revival meeting and turning me into a cause célèbre. My sister and father are both in health care, and probably have a centered view of this kind of issue.

Making my feelings known beforehand is a way for me to let them know it's ok if things get bad and there is nothing left to bring back.

Watching my father-in-law die from Parkinson's and helping my wife through the funeral was also a chance to bring up these things.

BTW, I'm also on record as saying that funerals are for the living, so I've told my wife to be as cheap as she is comfortable with when it comes to mine. When the funeral director showed the book with $500(?)-$10,000 caskets in it to my wife for her father, I told her my opinion on that. We ended up getting a nice wooden one for around $3000. BTW, the cheapest casket is particle board and is designed for cremation.

One advantage to being Jewish is that by Jewish law or custom, you are limited to all wood caskets. They still can run around $3000. If I ever found out that my wife got suckered into paying $10,000 for my casket, I wouldn't wait for judgement day. I'd jump up just so I could strangle the ***ing funeral director that sold it to her.

FTC page on funeral law

LEGALDOCS - Pennsylvania Living Will (Medical Authorization)ADVANCE HEALTH CARE
DIRECTIVE

INSTRUCTIONS: This form lets you give specific instructions about any aspect of
your health care. Choices are provided for you to express your wishes regarding
the provision, withholding, or withdrawal of treatment to keep you alive, as
well as the provision of pain relief. Space is provided for you to add to the
choices you have made or for you to write out any additional wishes. This form
also lets you express an intention to donate your bodily organs and tissues
following your death. Lastly, this form lets you designate a physician to have
primary responsibility for your health care.
After completing this form, sign and date the form at the end. The form must be
signed by two qualified witnesses or acknowledged before a notary public. Give a
copy of the signed and completed form to your physician, to any other health
care providers you may have, to any health care institution at which you are
receiving care, and to any health-care agents you have named.