DYING ON YOUR OWN TERMS

BY EMMA BURKE – Death is one of the few certainties of life, yet few of us take the time to think about how we want to pass when the time comes. While most of us have strong opinions surrounding what life-saving measures we want taken, only one in every four Americans has a living will. Many people are unaware of what an advance directive is or why they need one.

Advance directives have two main goals: to determine your living will and establish a power of attorney. The former puts into words what treatment you would like to receive in the event that you are unable to communicate. Most commonly, resuscitation, tube feeding, mechanical ventilation, and palliative care are discussed in this section. While laws regulating living wills vary among the 50 states, ‘do not resuscitate’ and ‘do not intubate’ orders can be added to a medical record without generating an advance directive. Additionally, you can also state your opinion on organ and tissue donation in your living will. While 95% of Americans would donate their organs upon death, only about half of them are registered organ donors. By putting down your wishes in writing, a tragic event can be made less traumatic for family members.

Equally as important as deciding what treatment you want at the end of life is choosing a power of attorney. This person is identified in one’s advance directive and is given the power to make medical decisions on your behalf. Prior to your power of attorney taking over healthcare decisions, a doctor must determine that the patient is unable to make decisions of him or herself. Quite often, living wills do not address every treatment that is available in the case of emergency due to changing technology. By naming an adult over the age of 18 your power of attorney, this person can speak for you when you cannot. While it is important to choose a person who you feel comfortable with, immediate family members may not make the best decisions in an emergency. It is important to choose somebody who is calm under pressure and to whom you can easily communicate your wishes before a traumatic event.

While one’s own death can be a difficult topic to discuss or even contemplate, it is to our benefit if we can do so before an emergency strikes. Tough decisions can be made easier if you do your research and outline what measures you want taken to prolong your life and who you want to speak for you when you cannot communicate. To find out how to create an advance directive in your state, visit www.caringinfo.org for a link to your state’s paperwork.