Appendix

A compendium of factual information about end of life choices. Use data with caution; changes occur frequently.

ADVANCE DIRECTIVES

MANY PEOPLE do not have wills. If you are among them, you won't be around to bear the consequences of your lack of action, or to witness the chaos you may have caused for your family who must sort out your affairs. But, if you are among those that do not have a "living" will (one of the many terms for advance directives) YOU will bear the consequences if you become temporarily or permanently unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself. Have you thought about what might happen to you if you have not left legal prior instructions for your medical care? You might be warehoused somewhere, possibly in a bed with machines and tubes attached to your body, or strapped in a wheelchair and parked in a corner in a nursing facility. Or, in countries without public health insurance, you might become a pauper, as expensive and hopeless medical procedures are applied to your frail body.

These things happen - a lot.

Everyone older than eighteen should have an advance directive.

An advance directive is a legal document that sets out your wishes regarding your medical care (and or names a person to make decisions for medical care on your behalf), in the event that you are unable to express those decisions yourself, because of brain damage from stroke, head injury or dementia. These legal documents are called living wills, and/or medical powers of attorney, and/or powers of attorney for personal care, etc.