You are in an accident.  You are rushed to the hospital as emergency personnel work to keep you alive.  The doctor tells your family that you are unconscious, your prognosis is poor and death may be imminent.  You are attached to a ventilator through a breathing tube since you cannot breathe on your own.

A week later, the doctor states that there is no chance of recovery and it is unlikely you will ever wake up.  Your family is asked whether or not to insert a feeding tube in your stomach to provide you with nutrition and hydration and a permanent tube through your throat to keep you breathing.

One of your family members says "no tubes" because of a conversation about Terri Schiavo that the two of you had.  Another one says "yes" because of their own spiritual beliefs.  You never completed an advance directive - so who makes the decision?

Most people would emphatically agree that an individual should have the power to make their own healthcare decisions.  Ironically, most Americans have not taken the steps to make sure their wishes are known or honored according to the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization.  The tragic situation involving Terri Schiavo was made all the more difficult because she had no written advance directive.

A recent study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that although more than 70% of Americans had given thought to end-of-life treatments, only 29% have a living will.

Completing a living will , or an advance directive, is part of advance care planning.  It lets you explain the kinds of care you would and would not want if you were ever seriously ill.  A healthcare power-of-attorney is another part of an advance directive that lets you appoint someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you cannot speak for yourself.

Planning is important whether you want every life-sustaining medical intervention available up until the moment of your death, or if you want to spend the final period of your life focusing on comfort care.  What matters most is that you make your wishes known by completing an advance directive and talking about it with your loved ones.  Only by this means can one feel assured that his/her wishes will be followed.

Should you have any questions about advance directives, please feel free to e-mail one of our This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .