five wishes, america’s most popular living will, is changing the way people talk about, and plan for, care at the end of life. this document meets the legal requirements in 42 states, including new jersey, and is useful in all 50. five wishes is written in everyday language and helps people express their wishes in areas that matter most — the personal and spiritual in addition to the medical and legal. due to volume, samaritan only provides copies of five wishes to residents of southern new jersey. completing five wishes is a gift to your family, friends, and your doctor, because it keeps them out of the difficult position of having to guess what kind of treatment you want or don’t want. families also use the five wishes living will document to help start and guide family conversations about care in times of serious illness. sometimes it begins with grandparents and other times it is the younger family members who bring up the topic.

living wills and other advance directives are written, legal instructions regarding your preferences for medical care if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. a medical or health care power of attorney is a type of advance directive in which you name a person to make decisions for you when you are unable to do so. a living will is a written, legal document that spells out medical treatments you would and would not want to be used to keep you alive, as well as your preferences for other medical decisions, such as pain management or organ donation. talk to your doctor if you have questions about any of the following medical decisions: you don’t need to have an advance directive or living will to have do not resuscitate (dnr) and do not intubate (dni) orders. review your advance directives with your doctor and your health care agent to be sure you have filled out forms correctly.

a living will form is a legal document that guides what a person wants for their end-of-life care and medical treatment. you can download and print a blank living will template here. this form is prepared as an advance directive—before it is needed—and it is used if you are unable to make medical decisions for yourself due to severe injury or a terminal condition. to write a living will, you can fill out the form online and then have it notarized. regardless of the state you live in, it’s recommended to have your living will signed by at least one witness and/or a notary public to reinforce its legitimacy. with formswift, you can create a living will and other specific forms for a low cost.