Planning ahead for your death is ethical? This is discussed by everyone of late especially when there is end-of-life-care and steps to lead a good health. Many have varied views that one must not consider unethical ways to end a life by stopping life support. However, there are people who plan ahead of their death. They plan towards estate planning, mature benefits of their life insurance, getting cemetery plot or by providing instructions about their burial.
Very often, when people suffer from prolonged, incurable illnesses, their life can be extended unnecessarily with expensive treatment that prolongs life. Family members will be in a fix for they will not want to end life support and at the same time will see their loved ones suffering or incur a lot of medical expenses without seeing the end result of their loved one getting better. The law in many countries does allow people to draw up directives that allow them to make their wishes known about their death and treatment. This will take away the guess work from loved ones.
This may be referred as an advance directive to the family and it consists of two documents:
Living will
-Considered Medical procedures
-Non-considered Medical procedures
-Life support
-Keep alive or comfort care
DPOA.
In reality, both types of documents provides details about the health care well ahead of time. This is considered to be better than someone else making a wish on your behalf at a later stage in life.
Basically, the first document of the advance directive will provide direction to the people around you about the exact wishes you are likely to get when you near the terminal stages of your life. This includes the medical procedures you are okay and you are not okay to receive. It also includes whether you are okay to change your medicinal procedures in case your health condition improves. It also includes a section whether you are okay to be kept in life support system until you die or you would want to be kept in number of various ways to choose your end.
If you carefully consider, these are some of the worst and some of the tough choices that people have to make for their loved one. Thus, for practical purposes it is always better to write a will as soon as possible. None of the religions do support the individual to lead a life without the option of life support or does not let them turn down such an option. Thus, it is extremely difficult and a tough one for the family members to choose and take an informed decision towards terminally ill instance etc. The other aspect of the advance directive is called DPOA which means Durable Power Of Attorney for healthcare.
This document lets you appoint someone to take these decisions for you when you are not in a position to do it yourself. Choose a person you can trust and one who is responsible enough to carry out your wishes. Some people even include a second persons name just in case the first person cannot make the decisions. The advance directive documents must be given to everyone who is taking care of you and this will include the doctor, hospital, nursing home etc. Keep a copy safe at home and tell some family member where you have kept it.
It is good for spouses to discuss these documents before drawing them up so that each will know the others wish. Many states in the US still require a DNR or do not resuscitate order to be signed by the patient or a family member. This will direct the doctors and paramedics whether to withhold CPR or other resuscitation methods. Whether planning ahead for your death is ethical or not, it is a question of personal beliefs and wishes and of course the laws of the state where you live.
On a more practical view, many people pre-plan their funeral and this includes the type of funeral service they want, the form of burial, if they want a memorial service etc. It is also good to keep aside money for burial costs for this is expensive and an unnecessary burden on loved ones. Estate planning is a necessary part of planning for your death for this will ensure your property is divided in the way you wish.
Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on servicio funerario Guatemala and contratos funerarios Guatemala, visit his site today.
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