Should I have a living will?

A living will is a written declaration executed beforehand, representing your wishes to refuse drastic medical intervention should you ever fall victim to an incurable disease or an injury from which there is no reasonable hope of your recovery and which renders you incapable of competently expressing your views.

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A living will usually states that the patient does not wish to be kept alive by artificial means and that should there be no reasonable hope of recovery, all life support treatment must cease so as to allow the patient to die naturally. A request that the necessary drugs be administered to make the patient comfortable and free of pain is also usually included.

Legislation

There is currently no legislation that regulates the validity and/or enforceability of living wills in South Africa. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and the South African Medical Association (Sama) have, however, both issued guidelines on living wills.