A living will is invoked under which circumstances?

• A. When the client has a terminal illness or is in a persistent vegetative state
• B. When the client has a treatable condition
• C. During routine medical treatment
• D. Only after family consent

Answer: (A)

A living will is an advance directive that states what medical treatments you want or don’t want if you can’t communicate your wishes. It is invoked when you have lost decision-making capacity due to a terminal illness or a persistent vegetative state (permanent unconsciousness). In that situation, clinicians follow the instructions in the living will to guide life-sustaining care.

It isn’t triggered by a treatable condition, routine medical treatment, or by family consent. Those circumstances don’t activate your declared preferences in a living will, though families may still be involved in decisions or in interpreting your wishes if the plan isn’t fully outlined.