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Why you need a living will written during the COVID-19 pandemic?

If you have to drop off a loved one at the emergency room with symptoms, there's a chance they may not see you again.

It's something none of us want to talk, or even think about, yet a reality all of us have to eventually face in the midst of this COVID-19 health crisis: What happens if we cannot communicate our health wishes.

Attorneys say now, more than ever, is an important time to have a living will written out so doctors know what medical care you want.

"It's your body and your decision and your life, and it's your time to make a decision of what you want in the event you can’t communicate," said Richard Freeburn, a personal attorney based in Harrisburg.

A living will is a written record of what treatments you want if you get so sick you can no longer speak for yourself. In the case of COVID-19, you may be asked if you wish to be placed on a ventilator, or be intubated. Do you wish to be resuscitated in the event your heart stops, is another question you might face.

At the same time you are filling out your living will, Freeburn recommends you discuss assigning a healthcare power of attorney.

"That gives someone the power to give decisions for you," in the event you are incapacitated, Freeburn said.

A spouse or close relative will be consulted if there's no power of attorney listed.

An attorney is not required to make these documents, though Freeburn says it is recommended to make sure everything is legally sound.

"Nobody wants to be in a situation where they are getting care they don’t want or not getting the care they do want because they never write down in advance how they want their medical care to proceed," Freeburn said.

It is a worst-case scenario where it is simply best to be prepared. Most hospitals won't let visitors past the front entrance because of infection risk. Penn State Hershey Medical Center spokeswoman Barabra Schindo said in a statement, "In the case of patients who are end-of-life, we do make exceptions for visitation and work diligently to involve the family in alternative means of contact so that they may be supportive of their loved one and mitigate exposure of multiple family members."

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