Living Will/Health Care Proxy
Planning in Advance for Your Medical Treatment
Adults in Massachusetts have the right to accept or refuse medical treatment, including life-sustaining treatment. This means that you have the right to request or consent to treatment, to refuse treatment before it has started, and to have treatment stopped once it has begun.
Sometimes due to illness or injury, people are unable to talk to a doctor and decide about treatment themselves. You may wish to plan in advance to make sure that your wishes will be followed if you become unable to decide for yourself. If you don’t plan ahead, family members or other people close to you may not be able to make decisions for you that follow your wishes.
Appointing someone you can trust to decide about treatment if you become unable to decide for yourself is the best way to protect your treatment wishes and interests. You have the right to appoint someone by filling out a form called a Health Care Proxy. Please call the Social Work/Care Coordination Department at (978) 287-3170 for assistance.