A living will is a document that expresses your wishes about end-of-life medical treatment — specifically, whether you want life-prolonging procedures used if you have a terminal condition, end-stage condition, or are in a persistent vegetative state with no reasonable hope of recovery.
This is different from a health care surrogate designation, which names a *person* to make decisions. A living will instead states your *preferences* directly, which can guide both your surrogate and your medical team.
Common topics covered include whether you want artificial life support, feeding tubes, or other measures used to prolong life in these specific situations.
Many people find it emotionally difficult to think through these scenarios in advance, but having a living will can actually reduce stress for family members later — it removes the burden of guessing what you would have wanted during an already painful time.
A living will doesn’t take effect for ordinary medical decisions; it only applies in the specific end-of-life scenarios defined by Florida law.
Pairing a living will with a health care surrogate designation creates a more complete picture of your medical wishes for your family and care team.
