By Jeff Moore
Remember the old western shows. Remember how simple life was. Remember how if someone was shot they had just enough time to murmur a few meaningful words to someone before they simply passed away. There was never any time to even call a doctor. The bad guy was arrested (assuming he wasn't the one who had been shot), everyone grieved for a few moments, and they life went on. There wasn't any reason to worry about hooking them up to a respirator, no one had even heard of blood transfusions, a stomach tube was inconceivable, the idea of resuscitation was ludicrous, and drugs the only drug they had to worry about was Loco Weed. Heck, normally there wasn't even enough time to call the doctor.
Dying was simple.
Times have changed. We are now living in a world that is so medically advance doctors are able to keep are bodies alive long after are brain has ceased to exist. They can do this by using a variety of respirators, stomach tubes, surgeries, and a wide variety of drugs. The problem is that while the technology exists to keep are body alive many people feel it is unnecessary if the brain has ceased to work properly. The advances in technology have caused people to start considering end of life decisions.
End of life decisions are nothing new. In ancient Greece anyone who felt their life was no longer worth living could approach the Senate, explain their reasoning, and then have an assisted suicide. Many nomadic tribes euthanized their old when they where no longer able to keep up with the tribe. The Japanese culture felt that suicide was an acceptable method to escape dishonor.
In today's world making an end of life decision means filling out a health care proxy, appointing someone with durable power of attorney, and drafting a living will. Today to make an end of life decision means considering what medical treatments you consider an acceptable means for continuing life.
Federal law states that we have the right to accept and deny any medical treatment. Doctors can tell us the pros and cons of surgeries drugs, and other treatments, they can offer advice but they cannot tell us what to do. As long as we can communicate we remain in control of are medical treatment. Problems arise when we can no longer communicate.
If you lose your ability to communicate most states (each one is different) automatically appoints your closet relative as your medical guardian. This person is suddenly in charge of all your medical treatments. This person might legally be your closest relative but that doesn't mean it's the one you can literally trust with your life.
To avoid having the wrong person making decisions about their life and medical treatment many people draft a living will. A living will is a document that states what medical treatment you will and won't accept in the event you are unable to communicate. Doctors are required to work within the parameters of the will. Other people give someone durable power of attorney. This person is then responsible for the incapacitated patient's health based on the patient's wishes. Both of these methods are called advanced health care directives. |
