Living Will Research Paper

.“As medical technology continues to advance and health care choices become more complicated, the preservation of end-of-life autonomy is an increasingly important issue faced by various client populations.” (Galambos, 1998).

The topic of end-of-life care may seem daunting and uncomfortable, and yet most individuals do have unique desires and concerns regarding their provision for the future. Providing the opportunity for that communication, the advance directive and POLST forms allow an individual to explicitly state their wishes before the future. Developed to lessen the apprehensions concerning patients undergoing any extensive and unwanted measures to preserve life at any cost, these medical directives lighten the decision-making burden for physicians and families alike and help comply with the patient’s utmost end-of-life wishes.

It is very important that each individual, if possible has a say in his or her own dying and death. Facing death is hard for everyone and there are specific issues to be talked about in advance. A living will or a Physician Order for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) is extremely useful. The POLST is designed for people with serious or life-threatening illnesses. “This is a standardized form that describes a patient’s wishes and is signed by his or her physician, providing both summary of an individual’s advance directive decision and the physician’s order. It can be used to inform emergency personnel about a patient’s wishes for life sustaining procedures, such as CPR. “

Contrary there are some faults to that could come into play with a living will. For instance in the state of Michigan it is not required for a living will to be enforced legally so in the end you wants might not even come into consideration. Another fact is that a physician can decide what is deemed necessary under certain circumstances and go against your wishes not to be resuscitated. Given the circumstances your family members might not agree with you giving up the right the life for the sake of their finical security. Terri Schiavo's family never gave up on her and would have been content to take care of her for the rest of her life. In the advent that a person does not have a living will in place one of your close relatives would be instated to make health care decisions for you. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it might not be entirely what you

This film explains the legal role of advance directives in end of life issues. An advance directive is “a written document directing how medical decisions are to be made in the future when the patient lacks decisional capacity and is unable to decide and choose” (Hanlon, End of Life Issues, Slide 28, Bullet 1). All three of the cases demonstrate the importance in filling out some form of directive. When there is nothing to go off of, it makes decisions extremely tough for families and medical providers. Having legal documentation of patient wishes helps understand what treatments they would or would not consent to. In cases like

Although my family has trouble talking about advanced care planning, I have felt strongly about this topic ever since I became interested in health care. I feel that its so important for everyone to have their wishes, at the very least, verbalized to their loved ones. I feel that planning for end of life when you are in an unaltered mental state/physical state is pertinent to having the most accurate wishes expressed! I have verbally expressed my wishes, however I feel that I will soon have mine expressed in a concrete way, such as an Advanced Directive form. I wasn’t explicitly educated on this topic until I took my Bioethics course during my sophomore year here at Mount Saint Mary’s. I immediately went home and told my mom about how passionate

In a living will you include in written form the kind of medical treatment you would want or not want if you become ill and were unable to make the decision yourself (Friends of Hospice, 2014). I expect to be treated with respect and to maintain my dignity in the event that I become seriously ill. I would want the following wishes and any other directions that I may have relied to my Heath Care Proxy to be acknowledged and respected. I would want my caregiver to keep in mind that I do not want to be in any pain and I would like to be kept clean and warm. If I am close to death and show no sign recovery I do not wish to receive life-support. If I have signs of permanent and severe brain damage and not expected to recover, I do not wish to receive life-support. If I am expected to recover and I show no signs of brain damage, then I do wish to receive life-support. In case of an emergency, I do wish to be resuscitated only if I have high hopes of recovering. For example, if I am sick and expected to die already, I do not wish to be resuscitated.

In end-of-life scenarios, where the patient may not be able to communicate their wishes, decisions must be made either by the healthcare professional(s) or family member(s). However, who gets to decide or where the line should be drawn are not always clear. Consequently, not all decisions may be ethically permissible. To illustrate, I will discuss a scenario in which physicians and family are not in agreement. Upon proving a brief summary and explaining the ethical dilemma, I will provide moral reasons for two ethically permissible choices from which, by referencing the principle of autonomy and Utilitarianism, will determine which course of action ought to be carried out.

When one decides to write their own living will, it can be incredibly detailed or as simple as the individual desire. As a result, there are forms developed by one’s state that assist in creating living wills. These forms have many options listed to help an individual devise a clear and precise document revealing one’s end-of-life requirements. Haman (2004) has provided an example of the information that an individual can include in a personal living will form:

In some cases a living will can cease all the ethical dilemmas. A living will allow a person to communicate wishes about their future care when they are not able to communicate verbally anymore. If a person has certain wishes about what medical staff should do in case they go into a coma or go into cardiac arrest. A person may even put

With regards to people who lack capacity and Advance care planning this has the potential to improve end of life care by enabling patients to discuss and record their future health and care wishes and also to appoint someone as an advocate or surrogate, thus making the likelihood of these wishes being known and respected at the end of life. This subject is important for those with the ability to make decisions now, to plan ahead and to live life as fully as possible until they die. It is also important to anticipate a time when they may not be able to make such decisions in future, and to plan for this eventuality. This aspect is stressed as a priority by some than by others, and it refers to the various legislations related to mental capacity

Should a patient be coached through death solely by counselors and chaplains or should a physician have a role in this process? Do doctors have a responsibility to educate their patients on options of care at the end-of-life, and should patients be left with the autonomy to choose how they die? Are these options a patient’s right or are they merely a privilege? I assume these question are complex and will provide a needed dialogue about care at the end-of-life for many years to come. For now, I find myself on the side of many Americans, and I desire to provide future patients with the choice of how to die. I conclude, however, that one’s views on patient end-of-life care options are heavily influences by cultural factors, and I do not believe one side or the other is more morally correct in their thinking. I can understand why policy makers and some physicians may be conflicted about letting a patient die without performing every medical measure possible, but I have found that I value the patient’s autonomy highly. I believe it is best to accept death and to let the patient die peacefully if that is what they choose, and I hope to find more courses on end-of-life care options integrated into medical schools in the

Living wills cannot request euthanasia or unreasonable treatment. Living wills, once activated, should ensure that your physician and the medical facility uphold your health care treatment beliefs and wishes. Your family or your physician cannot revoke them; your living will can only be revoked orally by you or by court acting on your behalf. With a living will, you maintain control over your end-of-life decisions. If your wishes are explicitly stated in your living will, your doctor and your family should not be able to supersede them. As long as your wishes are known, they should be respected.

I found an article discussing how living wills work and how to deal with issues with wills when they come up. A living will allows a person to specify what they want and how to receive treatment from medical doctors, caregivers, friends, and family when something happens to them. Wills permit people to explain how they want the treatment, how much, and when not to receive any treatment or certain types of treatment. For example, a person will say in the living will whether they want to have a feeding tube or not. Moreover, living wills impact the treatments given to the person and decisions concerning their life, death, or well-being. Living wills also deal with choices that will prolong the person's life or if the procedure could result in

One of the chief arguments supporting legalization of euthanasia, is that built upon the concepts of individual "free will, autonomy" and the right to exercise them. However, the elevation of these rights of the individual above those of the greater social group are a concern. The concern which arises, is that institutions which would exercise the free will of an individual, on a populace of individuals who are terminally ill, might lose track of the elusive quality of freedom as it relates to will, and implement someone else 's will upon an unwilling individual, or upon an entire group for that matter.