Question for Board Members RE: A Place to Post Living Wills

I got to thinking, especially in light of Terry Schiavo's ongoing plight, that perhaps some, or many people have already, or are thinking of making out a living will of their own. I personally have had one, since several years before her case was publicized. However, I have handed it out to a few doctor's in different states/counties I have lived in, given it to family members, but, who is to know if it will ever get seen, and abided by if I were ever to be in such a situation. I even have it registered with a place on the Web called U.S. Living Will Registry, which is supposed to keep it on file for you, and is supposed to be available 24 hours to doctors, hospitals and other health care officials. But, even though they send you stickers to put on your driver's license, and insurance card, and send you a card to put in your wallet, what happens if something happens while you are not carrying your purse. I don't carry it everywhere I go.

Anyway, get the picture? I don't know how well this idea would go over, but I was thinking, if members of a large online community, such as ATS. were to have a place for each member, only if they wish to, to make their fundamental wishes known, so that there would be another way for their loved ones, and doctors and hospitals all over to know what their personal final wishes are.

I could see some problems, I don't remember if when I registered, the owner or the board members got my real name or not. So, that is unsure. Also, if not, I'm sure that everyone here who is known by their user name only, certainly would not appreciate posting their wished under their real names for everyone to see. It may be very private to most.

Well, anyway, just a thought. See what kind of feedback I got on it

They didn't get our names.

It's a question we were jsut examining on another webboard I'm part of. If you died, well, there's no way anyone would really know. Unless you've got a special case where a relative, spouse, or neighboring person is on, then you might as well have dissappeared into the abyss like many many members do. Odds are one of them has already died...

ATS is not a place for us to store our lives wishes, it is an amazing forum. You shouldn't do it online to begin with, always have it in paper. Too much risk involved online.

Just a quick note to point out that the notion of a living will applies in the legal systems of very few countries at this juncture.

Originally posted by Amorymeltzer

ATS is not a place for us to store our lives wishes, it is an amazing forum. You shouldn't do it online to begin with, always have it in paper. Too much risk involved online.

I tend to agree with Amory here, I'm not so sure having it online would even stand up in court. Could you prove beyond a reasonbable doubt that it hasn't been altered. Maybe you could, but I'd think physically having it on paper would be a better idea.

Originally posted by CyberKat
Well, anyway, just a thought. See what kind of feedback I got on it

Websites will do anything for a fast buck; they will tell you one thing and it means nothing in the end. If it is not on paper with at least two witness signatures it means nothing. And let us not forget that some states have their own requirements, i.e., Five wishes does not apply in states like Wisconsin and others, you have to use their forms.

dhfs.wisconsin.gov...

Once you have your living will made up according to your state's requirements, make several copies, give one to your Primary Care Physician, one to your significant other, one to your parents, one to a friend or relative you trust or are close to. Also if you seeing other doctors, specialists etc that may be called in an extreme situation, you should also give them a copy to keep your files.

I see no use or purpose for websites keeping this information for you

Originally posted by CyberKat
Anyway, get the picture? I don't know how well this idea would go over, but I was thinking, if members of a large online community, such as ATS. were to have a place for each member, only if they wish to, to make their fundamental wishes known, so that there would be another way for their loved ones, and doctors and hospitals all over to know what their personal final wishes are.

Are you sure?

21.) As the main representative (founder, owner, webmaster) of AboveTopSecret.com also reserves the right to assume advocacy of your soul, body and worldy accumulations in the event of any onsets including but not limited to persistent vegetative states, bad hair days and hangnails as required by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to conform to the law, whims or preventative measures of acting fashionistas or comply with a legal process served on myself or the AboveTopSecret.com website, protect and defend the rights or property of the AboveTopSecret.com website (not to the exculsion of your soul, body and worldy accumulations), or visitors to AboveTopSecret.com (their souls, bodies and worldy accumulations), identify persons who may be violating the law of good taste, the legal notice of bad taste, or the rights of third parties sick of your crap, and cooperate with the investigations of purported activities.

Right now it only applies to members that joined before 2003. But most didn't like it for some reason.




And no, not true.

[edit on 29-3-2005 by RANT]

No offense but living willis are essentially modivations for intent and they should remain confidential except to the person named and the court . While this lowers the intent of foul play it does not extinguish it but you have only one person involved alone if something goes wrong ,,,, if they are made public anyone could think of twenty reasons and ways to use it against you in a way that is not beneficial.


However a data base listing a filing number and the person who it was registered might be ok if the rest of the info is sealed to only the court and lawenforcement for purposes of contact an execution.


but the other details even then may get out by some dishonest reporter bribing some clerk for a story line on a critically ill person or something which again leads me to believe only the court filing number and name of a person should be know under present standards and leave it at that.



But dont get me wrong word of mouth by law should be considered illeagal and not enforced unless in writing and notarized and witnessed at the minimum. I would also say that fingure prints should be added and next to the signatures of the participants involved. For security reasons to avoid fake documents such as forgeries.





By the way my fingure print and the primary responsible party and both secondary persons fingure prints and the witness fingure prints are all affixed.



[edit on 29/3/2005 by drbryankkruta]

Living will is the best revenge
By ROBERT FRIEDMAN, Perspective Editor
Published March 27, 2005

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like many of you, I have been compelled by recent events to prepare a more detailed advance directive dealing with end-of-life issues. Here's what mine says:

* In the event I lapse into a persistent vegetative state, I want medical authorities to resort to extraordinary means to prolong my hellish semiexistence. Fifteen years wouldn't be long enough for me.

* I want my wife and my parents to compound their misery by engaging in a bitter and protracted feud that depletes their emotions and their bank accounts.

* I want my wife to ruin the rest of her life by maintaining an interminable vigil at my bedside. I'd be really jealous if she waited less than a decade to start dating again or otherwise rebuilding a semblance of a normal life.

* I want my case to be turned into a circus by losers and crackpots from around the country who hope to bring meaning to their empty lives by investing the same transient emotion in me that they once reserved for Laci Peterson, Chandra Levy and that little girl who got stuck in a well.

* I want those crackpots to spread vicious lies about my wife.

(cont)

More at St. Petersburg Times.