Why Young Adults Need a Living Will Too

When most people think of living wills, they picture someone elderly, perhaps facing a serious diagnosis, sitting down with a lawyer to put their final wishes on paper. It is an understandable association — but it is incomplete and potentially dangerous. The truth is that anyone over 18 should have a living will, and young adults arguably have some of the most compelling reasons to create one.

The 18th birthday problem

Here is something that surprises most parents: the day your child turns 18, you lose all legal authority to make medical decisions on their behalf. HIPAA privacy rules mean that doctors cannot even share medical information with you without your adult child’s explicit consent.

Imagine your 19-year-old is in a car accident on the way to college. They are unconscious and on a ventilator. You rush to the hospital, terrified, desperate for information. And the medical team tells you that without a healthcare power of attorney or advance directive, they cannot discuss treatment decisions with you in some states until a court gets involved.

This scenario plays out more often than you might think. It is one of the strongest arguments for every young adult to have at least a basic living will and healthcare proxy designation in place.

Accidents do not check your age

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for Americans between ages 1 and 44, according to the CDC. Car accidents, drownings, falls, and other traumatic events can leave a young, healthy person incapacitated in an instant. And when that happens, the same questions arise that face anyone in a medical crisis:

• Should CPR be performed?
• Should a ventilator be used, and for how long?
• What about feeding tubes if there is brain damage?
• Who should make decisions if the patient cannot?
• What are the patient’s wishes about organ donation?

Young people tend to think of these as distant, theoretical concerns. But for the thousands of young adults who experience serious accidents every year, they become immediate and concrete. Having answers written down before the crisis matters just as much at 25 as it does at 75.

Unexpected illness happens

Beyond accidents, young adults can face sudden, serious medical conditions that impair their ability to make decisions:

• Stroke: While more common in older adults, strokes can and do occur in young people. The American Heart Association reports that stroke rates have been increasing in younger age groups.
• Aneurysm: Brain aneurysms can rupture without warning at any age, causing sudden unconsciousness.
• Severe infection: Meningitis, sepsis, and other infections can progress rapidly from mild symptoms to life-threatening conditions within hours.
• Cancer: While less common in young adults, certain cancers (leukemia, lymphoma, brain tumors) disproportionately affect younger people and can progress quickly.
• Mental health crises: Severe episodes can temporarily impair decision-making capacity, making a pre-existing healthcare proxy invaluable.

The unique considerations for young adults

A living will for a 22-year-old will look different from one for a 72-year-old, and that is perfectly appropriate. Here are some considerations specific to younger people:

• Higher tolerance for aggressive treatment. Because young adults are more likely to recover from serious medical events, many will choose more aggressive treatment preferences than older adults might. That is a completely valid choice — but it should still be documented.
• Choosing a healthcare agent carefully. For young, unmarried adults, the default decision-maker under most state laws is a parent. If you would prefer a partner, friend, or sibling to make your medical decisions, you need to designate them explicitly in writing.
• Organ donation. Young adults are often excellent organ donation candidates. If organ donation is important to you, stating it clearly in your living will ensures your wishes are known.
• Defining quality of life. Think about what quality of life means to you now. Would you want to live with severe cognitive impairment? What about paralysis? What about dependence on a ventilator? These are not morbid questions — they are practical ones that guide your care.

“But I do not know what I would want”

This is the most common reason young adults give for not creating a living will. And it is understandable — when you are healthy and life feels infinite, these decisions can feel abstract and overwhelming.

But here is the thing: you do not need to have perfect answers. A living will that says “I want aggressive treatment for any recoverable condition, but comfort care only if I am permanently unconscious with no chance of recovery” is infinitely better than no document at all.

And remember: a living will is not permanent. You can update it at any time. What you write at 22 does not bind you at 42. It simply ensures that if something happens tomorrow, someone knows what you would want right now.

A gift to your parents

No parent wants to think about their child being in a medical crisis. But every parent dreads the possibility. Creating a living will is not about being morbid — it is about being kind. It says to your parents: “If the worst happens, you will not have to guess. You will not have to fight with each other or with doctors. I have told you what I want, and you can focus on being my family instead of being my decision-makers.”

Many parents report that when their young adult child brings them a completed living will, the initial discomfort quickly gives way to profound gratitude. It is an act of maturity and love.

Getting started

Creating a living will as a young adult does not require a lawyer, a doctor, or a morbid frame of mind. It takes about 15 minutes, a bit of honest self-reflection, and the willingness to have a brief conversation with whoever you designate as your healthcare agent.

Think of it like putting on a seatbelt — you do not plan to need it, and wearing it does not mean you expect to crash. It is simply a sensible precaution that protects you and the people who love you.