What is a living will in Illinois law?

• A. A document that allows terminally ill patients to instruct health care providers on their treatment preferences
• B. A plan for the distribution of assets after death
• C. A document to appoint an executor for a will
• D. A form to record organ donation preferences only

Answer: (A)

A living will is an advance directive that lets a person specify, in writing, what life-sustaining treatments they want or do not want if they become unable to communicate due to a terminal illness or permanent unconsciousness. In Illinois law, it guides health care providers about which interventions to give or withhold—such as decisions about CPR, mechanical ventilation, and artificial nutrition and hydration—so care aligns with the patient’s wishes when they can’t speak for themselves. It’s not about who inherits assets, nor about appointing an executor, and it’s not exclusively a form for organ donation. A living will works alongside other directives, like a durable power of attorney for health care, which designates someone to make decisions if the patient can’t.