Patients complete advance directives without a physician’s approval, though they may seek a physician’s advice in doing so. Only a physician can issue a DNR order or a POLST, in consultation with the patient or surrogate. So long as the preferences and directives of patients are an integral part of the process, POLSTs appear to be a useful addition to late-stage medical care decision making
Last week, I referred a caller to the Final Exit Network (FEN) to John B. Kelly, a Not Dead Yet opponent of right-to-die (RTD) laws. The person was inquiring on behalf of his brother (I’ll call him Carl) about the education and training services that FEN offers to applicants who want to hasten their deaths. The brother was trying to learn if FEN could help Carl, who was despairing of his condition.
Whether intentionally or inadvertently, a recent article in the Washington Post, written by a reporter with Kaiser Health News, provides confusing, incomplete, misleading, and perhaps inaccurate information about the choices a person with dementia may have. It dismisses legal issues by citing opinions from non-legal professionals.
On this blog, we have dealt often with aspects of advance directives. To prepare for using a dementia directive, readers may benefit from a discussion of the development of advance directives and problems with their language. References to several dementia directives or supplements are provided.
Not only is Canada further advanced than all states in the US with respect to Medical Aid In Dying (MAID or MAiD), it also has surpassed the US for those who want to Voluntarily Stop Eating and Drinking.
A FEN Coordinator discusses how FEN works and explains who FEN can and cannot help.
Good Death Society Blog Holiday Schedule and a Song to begin the new year and say goodbye to the old one.
The Good Death Society Blog Holiday Schedule and More, including an UPDATE and poem for the season
We conclude year 2019 of The Good Death Society Blog with a look at end-of-life books published this year, courtesy of blog contributor Jim Van Buskirk.
This post looks critically at the view that Medical Aid In Dying (MAID) is not a human right.
