[Mrs. Don-o]

A legitimate Medical Advance Directive

• Names someone you trust (your "health care agent") to safeguard your life when you cannot speak for yourself
• Names backup agents if your first choice can't serve
• Describes the treatment you do and do not want
• Protects your family and health care agent from pressure by enabling them to prove what you really did want
• affirms your fundamental right to "ordinary care" (nutrition, hydration, pain management, hygienic and comfort care)
• strengthens the assumption that you want life-saving treatment if it is not clearly futile or overwhelmingly burdensome -- and specifies what this means
• preserves your right to refuse futile or burdensome interventions, especially when dying.

A document which actually does this --- and which I recommend --- is the one offered by the NRLC's Powell Center for Medical Ethics, designed with reference to your own state's laws, downloadable here:

http://www.nrlc.org/euthanasia/willtolive/StatesList.html

My suggestion? Do it now.

[napscoordinator]

Doesn’t a living will put all this to rest? I love your suggestions but a living will might be needed by every person in America (maybe the World).

[beaversmom]

My mom had surgery in March and they wanted her to fill out a living will. She had already made me in charge in case anything should happen, so I told her to just leave it at that and not fill out the living will. The living will said they could take her off life support after so many days, yada, yada, yada. Personally, I don’t think you are in a position to make those kinds of decisions beforehand. There are too many unknowns.

[yldstrk]

Don’t sign the advance directive unless you don’t mind being starved and dehydrated to death. My advance directive now states as follows: I desire to be fed and hydrated.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Ping-a-ling

[ExTexasRedhead]

Thank you for this information and must read. This information should be shared with our email lists.

[anonsquared]

Wouldn’t a simple DNR - do not resuscitate - be sufficient?

[melissa_in_ga]

bookmark for later when I get ink for my printer. Thank you for the article.

[kalee]

We did it earlier this year. Our attorney had never seen the Will to Live so asked us to leave a copy and reschedule our appointment so she could look it over (and determine its legality in our state). When we went back she said she had looked into it and it was legit, (well duh). She then said she had never had anyone do anything other than the regular Living Will and that people usually opted for little intervention so assets would be left for their kids.
She was very interested in our concerns and beliefs on the issues of dying. My husband and I had both lost our mothers within the last 18 months so we had dealt with it recently and had seen the death peddlers in action.

[Daffynition]

Lots of folks don't want to *face* this element of their end. It should be discussed with immediate family and drawn up with an attorney [no legal zoom] who will know your state's statutes. Advance directives and Durable Power of Attorney. Don't let family [under duress] decide what you really want.

[Matthew James]

bump

[Albion Wilde]

bttt

[little jeremiah]

Placemark to read and pingout.

I hope you’re feeling well, Mrs!! I haven’t forgotten our emails - had emergencies of various kinds - gave myself a concussion of some kind, and now have to make herb packages for two families in the PI, then I can work on what you sent me. Been thinking.

[call meVeronica]

Bump