Quote:
Originally Posted by john70t
There is a vast spectrum of circumstances in this topic, but it should boil down to the true wishes of the patient in most cases. That's why an early declaration of whether or not to DNR(do not resuscitate) should be mandatory with drivers licenses, or some form of registration, so everyone is legally and morally on the same page.
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This. I urge all of you to make your wishes be known in a living will and appoint somebody you KNOW will carry out your wishes as power of attorney for healthcare. People think that a regular appointed power of attorney is enough but it is not the same. And I emphasize "trust". The reason being if you choose to be DNR, with no extreme measures to save your life, if your POA decides at the last minute not to respect your wishes and override your DNR, they can if you are not of sound mind (in a coma, not oriented secondary to dementia or Alzheimer's). It made me so mad sometimes because I knew what the patient wanted when they were oriented but because of family pressure or their own inability to respect the patient's wishes, I have seen many POAs of healthcare reverse it. I have told my POA for healthcare if they override my wishes, I will haunt them forever in my afterlife!
I have heard many people say it is morbid or they don't want to think about it, or their children don't want to think about it. But believe me, so less stressful at the end for everybody because they don't have to guess what mom or dad truly wanted. Saves a lot of family arguing and stress. Same goes funeral arrangements. So less stressful for everybody and you get what you want.