Wisconsin law allows any competent adult may execute a document directing that life-sustaining procedures be withheld or withdrawn. Living will, power of attorney for health care
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Wisconsin State Statutes (chapter 154.03). It is not mandatory that you have health care directive, however it is highly recommended. Without advance directive you can not communicate your wishes to the doctor |
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In addition, you can also appoint someone to handle your financial matters using a Power of Attorney for Finances and Property. “A Power of Attorney for Health Care” is an important legal document. It gives your agent broad powers to make health care decisions for you, including withdrawal of a feeding tube and artificial hydration. Please note that neither your health care agent nor your alternate health care agent can be your health care provider or employee of a health care facility where you are a patient, or a spouse of any of those persons, unless she or he is also your relative. Your health care agent may not admit or commit you on an inpatient basis to an institution for mental diseases, an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, a state treatment facility or a treatment facility. Your health care agent may not consent to experimental mental health research or psychosurgery, electroconvulsive treatment or drastic mental health treatment procedures for you. Your agent shall have the same access to your medical records that you have, including the right to disclose the contents to others, to request, receive and review verbal and written information regarding your personal affairs or physical or mental health including medical and hospital records. There is an anatomical gift provision in this Power of attorney where you can address the disposition of your remains. “A living will makes” it possible for adults in Wisconsin to state their preferences for life-sustaining procedures and feeding tubes in the event the person is in a terminal condition or persistent vegetative state. Two witnesses are required. Witnesses must be at least 18 years of age, not related to you by blood, marriage or adoption and not directly financially responsible for your health care. Witnesses may also not be persons who know they are entitled to or have a claim on any portion of your estate. Before you start working on your Health Care Directive you should know the following definitions: “Declaration” means a written, witnessed document voluntarily executed by the declarant under State law but is not limited in form or substance to that provided in State Statute 154.03(2). “Feeding tube” means a medical tube through which nutrition or hydration is administered into the vein, stomach, nose, mouth or other body opening of a qualified patient. “Terminal condition” means an incurable condition caused by injury or illness that reasonable medical judgment finds would cause death imminently, so that the application of life-sustaining procedures serves only to postpone the moment of death. “Persistent vegetative state” means a condition that reasonable medical judgment finds constitutes complete and irreversible loss of all the functions of the cerebral cortex and results in a complete, chronic and irreversible cessation of all cognitive functioning and consciousness and a complete lack of behavioral responses that indicate cognitive functioning, although autonomic functions continue. “Qualified patient” means a declarant who has been diagnosed and certified in writing to be afflicted with a terminal condition or to be in a persistent vegetative state by 2 physicians, one of whom is the attending physician, who have personally examined the declarant. “Attending physician” means a physician licensed in the State of Wisconsin and who has primary responsibility for the treatment and care of the patient. “Inpatient health care facility” has the meaning provided under State Statute 50.135(1) and includes community-based residential facilities as defined in State Statute 50.01(1g). “Life-sustaining procedure” means any medical procedure or intervention that, in the judgment of the attending physician, would serve only to prolong the dying process but not avert death when applied to a qualified patient. “Life-sustaining procedure” includes assistance in respiration, artificial maintenance of blood pressure and heart rate, blood transfusion, kidney dialysis and other similar procedures, but does not include (a) The alleviation of pain by administering medication or by performing an medical procedure. (b) The provision of nutrition or hydration. Procedures for signing Declarations A declaration must be signed by the declarant in the presence of 2 witnesses. If the declarant is physically unable to sign a declaration, the declaration must be signed in the declarant’s name by one of the witnesses or some other person at the declarant’s express direction and in his or her presence; such a proxy signing shall either take place or be acknowledged by the declarant in the presence of 2 witnesses. Effect of Declaration The desires of a qualified patient who is competent supersede the effect of the declaration at all times. If a qualified patient is incompetent at the time of the decision to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining procedures or feeding tubes a declaration executed under this chapter is presumed to be valid. Revocation of Declaration A declaration may be revoked at any time by the declarant by any of the following methods:
Liabilities No physician, inpatient health care facility or health care professional acting under direction of a physician may be held criminally liable or civilly liable, or charged with unprofessional conduct of any of the following:
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