In Ontario, a “living will” is actually called a Power of Attorney for Personal Care.  (If you live outside Ontario, and receive a copy of The Cardinal from a friend, be wary of any statement.  Different provinces have different laws.) This Power of Attorney is one of three, in Ontario.  Two apply to property matters.  The Power of Attorney for Personal Care deals with life-and-death issues. You can obtain a sample form from the University of Toronto.

Essentially, in a “living will”, you state the level of medical treatment you are prepared to accept, if you can no longer speak.  You also name the person who will carry out your wishes.  Commonly, you will make a statement about donation of organs. Donating your whole body to a “medical school” is not as simple as you might suppose.  Begin finding out, now, and have a “Plan B” in mind.  Depending on the cause of death, the University may not accept your offer.  It may cost too much to return the body from a distance, too.  

Your instructions can range from “Do everything possible to keep me alive.” to “Don’t do anything to keep me alive.”   You can indicate desired treatments or treatments you wouldn’t want. In Ontario, your directions are not binding.  Nor do you need a living will for someone to make such decisions on your behalf.  Your comments may take pressure off a “next of kin” survivor in the face of family disagreement or simple grieving.  You can make your own decisions and make them known, too.

Probably, your Power of Attorney should be drafted by a lawyer and reviewed by a doctor.  Carry a card in your wallet, indicating the name of your proxy.  Give a copy to family members, your lawyer and doctor and especially your proxy.  Review it from time to time.  Today’s astonishing and perhaps alarming measures may be commonplace treatment in only a few years.

In Ontario, both you and your proxy must be at least 16.  The proxy cannot be paid to provide you with health care, residential or social services.