The Washington state Department of Health has established a Web-based registry that stores the living will documents of state residents.

Project manager Carol Wozniak says important documents such as medical health care directives and durable power of attorney forms are stored in a secure, online database.

Carol Wozniak comments

Living will documents contain information about treatment wishes in case a patient is unable to communicate. The system stores emergency contact information so next of kin can be contacted immediately.

Wozniak continues

People of all ages are advised to have a living will. Registering living will documents is free and easy, with two simple steps to the process.

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Registrants receive a wallet card with a unique registration identification number and instructions to access the living will documents they’ve filed. Registrants can access, make changes, or remove their living will documents at any time. Each year, they’ll automatically receive a letter reminding them to update their information.

Details on Washington’s Living Will Registry are available online at www.doh.wa.gov/livingwill or by calling toll free 1-800-525-0127.