Living Will

This fall the NY Times published an article about a man who was terminally ill and with advanced stage dementia.
He had never given instructions as to how to treat him when dying.
The medical team did everything they knew to prolong his life.
The prolonged ,over time,emotional and financial effects on his family were awful.
I had my lawyer add to my "Living Will and Healthcare Proxy" the following phrase: "I do not want mechanical or electrical cardiac pacing".
I don't consider this morbid ;since I have a will for my property , why not for me?
Carpe Diem

p.s. My lawyer, also a pacer, added this to her will.

3 Comments

advanced directives

by Tracey_E - 2013-02-12 09:02:04

I have a living will and durable power of attorney. It includes ventilator, feeding tubes, extraordinary measures when there is no hope of recovery. I did not, however, include the pacer. As long as the heart muscle responds, I don't see a reason to turn off pacing. Turning it off will lower the hr considerably, more than likely make me uncomfortable but not kill me, or if it will it won't be quickly. When my heart is ready to stop responding, it won't matter if the pm is on or not.

My problem is my husband does not agree with me so I don't trust him to carry out my wishes. He says you never know when there will be a miracle and he believes in dragging it out until the bitter end. I am waiting for the day my oldest daughter is 18 so I can have a talk with her and make her the executor (or whatever it's called). I do not want my family to spend weeks, months, or years by my bedside if I am just a shell on machines. Let me go and get on with your life.

absolutely

by jessie - 2013-02-13 01:02:57

we both have living wills and the last one to die gets to make sure that the adult children follow the directives. i have said if i am not mentally competent then i do not want antibiotics if i have pneumonia. just let me go. when my father died it was horrible as the siblings were quarelling and saying you are killing him. as if there is not enough guilt.my father had met with my one brother and myself and we were directly involved with him during his lifetime and at the end. he did not want to hang on on a respirator. the one who especially argued with us was my youngest brother who was a lawyer. funny enough he could not find the time to even visit my father and made it clear that he had no interest. funny enough that was in 98 and now my youngest brother is 63 and chain smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day. my parents struggled financially to educate him to be a lawyer. all he could talk about was how much money him and my other brother would get from the old man. it was a real eye opener for me i will tell you. sadly enough you cannot take it with you so since we all have to eventually die your wordly goods are not important any more at least not to you. jessie

Hospital Policies

by ElectricFrank - 2013-02-14 12:02:39

Be aware that many of the hospitals that have been purchased by the Catholic Church are by order of the Counsel of Bishops ignoring DNR's etc.

The other important thing is to be sure in your own mind what you want. All too often the hospital staff or family members will take advantage of the patient who is anxious or having trouble breathing.

frank

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