How do I draw up my living will free of charge?
Start the DeinAdieu living will assistant and follow the instructions. Once you have completed the form, you can download your living will as a PDF document. You can continue to edit the document after downloading to make changes later.
Individual Template
Generate your individual living will online. Our documents were developed together with doctors, ethicists and lawyers and are valid in the event of an emergency.
Representative Person
Appoint a representative and discuss your values and attitudes towards medical measures with them. If necessary, consult your family doctor to ensure that your wishes are clear and understandable to the medical staff.
Storage & renewal
Sign your patient decree. Give a copy to your representative and your family doctor. Put your card in your wallet. We will remind you about the necessary renewal.
New: Store securely in the electronic patient record (EPR). This means that the living will is immediately available and securely stored in an emergency.
Create a Swiss living will
- Relieving the burden on relatives & preserving self-determination
- Effective without notary
- Free of charge – incl. organ donor card
Preparation for filling out the living will
- Think about which medical treatments you agree with and which you refuse. Consider emergency situations such as an accident, a sudden illness or a long-term illness.
- Choose a suitable deputy. The representative should act carefully in an emergency situation and be able to deal with a potentially stressful situation. Formulate the living will primarily for your authorized representative: they must understand your wishes and intentions well so that they can communicate the measures you wish them to take. So think about who you would like to appoint as your representative before you fill it out.
- Seek advice from a medical specialist. Talk to your doctor before or after completing the directive.
- Update: We recommend that you review your living will every two years and amend it if necessary. We can remind you by e-mail on request.
- A living will is rarely drawn up all at once. Even if you don’t deal with all eventualities, it makes sense to draw up a living will with the most important information.
- instructions. After discussion with the doctor or representative, new aspects may arise that you have not considered. You can subsequently enter these in your living will.
- Create your living will step by step. The document can be saved on DeinAdieu.ch and downloaded as a PDF. You can edit it later.
What is a patient decree?
In your living will, you determine how you wish to be treated if you are no longer able to make your own decisions.
The living will specifies which medical treatment you want in the event of a serious accident or illness and which you refuse. This means that your will as a patient is also taken into account if you are no longer able to express it yourself.
We recommend that you appoint a representative to make decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. The representative serves as a contact person for medical staff. Discuss the living will with the representative so that they can correctly reflect your wishes regarding treatment. In this way,
The living will is formulated in such a way that it can be applied to a variety of emergency situations. The question of life-prolonging measures is particularly important to many patients. Our digital advance directive assistant can help you with this.
What happens without a living will?
If you do not have a living will, the persons specified in the law act as medical representatives. Only those who “provide regular and personal care and assistance” can be granted the right of representation. The following order is observed (see ZGB Art. 378):
- the person designated in an advance care directive
- the legal advisor with a right of representation for medical measures
- Spouse or registered partner
- the person who shares a household with the person lacking capacity and who regularly assists them
- Descendants
- Parents
- Siblings
Frequently asked questions
What is a patient decree?
A patient decree is a provisional document in which a person who is capable of judgement determines which medical measures he or she agrees or disagrees with should he or she be incapable of judgement. He or she can appoint a representative who can give instructions to doctors.
Who needs a patient decree?
As the Swiss population is getting older, the risk of not being able to make decisions about medical measures due to incapacity of judgement increases. Medical measures offered nowadays are many and diverse, which is why it is recommended to create a patient decree.
When is DeinAdieu’s patient decree not suitable for me?
In recent years, there have been an increasing number of reports of carelessly completed dispositions. The reason is usually the contradictory or unreliable definition of medical measures. Therefore: Fill in the medical part of the directive together with your family doctor.
When is a patient decree valid?
In recent years, there have been many reports of improperly filled out and therefore dubious patient decrees. The reason is usually the contradictory or unreliable definition of medical measures. Be sure to fill out the medical part of the decree together with your general practitioner/medical consultant.
Can I fill out a patient decree myself?
Yes. However, the following is recommended: 1.) Complete the questions regarding your values and views with your representative. 2.) Define the medical instructions with a medical expert or a medical consultant (e.g. Advance Care Planning consultation).
What is an authorised representative?
An authorised representative ideally knows your wishes and values. In the event of your incapacity, he or she is authorized to issue instructions to the medical staff regarding medical measures. In doing so, the representative relies on the living will. When choosing a representative, make sure that they are capable of making far-reaching decisions in a crisis situation. It may therefore make more sense to choose a younger person instead of a partner.
What is a replacement person?
If the authorised representative is unable to perform this task, the replacement shall take his or her place.
Why should the representative be involved in the creation of the patient decree?
The questions regarding the patient’s values discussed in the patient decree are a very sensitive topic. The dialogue with the representative helps the patient to answer these.
When should the general practitioner/medical consultant be involved?
If you want to define specific medical measures, we recommend that you discuss them with your general practitioner/medical consultant. He or she can settle the consultation via your health insurance.
Where should I keep the living will?
Keep your living will in a place where it can be easily found. Mark this location on your individual map. It makes sense to store several signed versions in several places (e.g. representative person, general practitioner, replacement person).
How often should I renew the patient decree?
You should renew/check your patient decree every two years. We can optionally remind you by email to do so.
Discussion of questions from the living will
In these two videos, Dr. Barbara Loupatatzis shows you how to draw up a clear living will. She discusses key questions about living wills with Esther and Martin and explains their meaning and purpose for the interpretation of the living will. Watch this video for a better understanding of the value issues. This ensures that medical treatments are carried out according to your wishes as far as possible.
Esther, 53, author & mother
“I can also imagine a life in which my ability to think and my mobility are limited and I become dependent on my surroundings.”
Martin, 63, author
“If I become incapable of judgment and am no longer mobile under my own power, I don’t want to live anymore”