Who will speak for me?

Unfortunately, many of us will need to make decisions about medical care at the end of life either for ourselves, a parent, a spouse, or sadly a child. While there is no way to make these decisions easy, having a document that clearly states what medical decisions you want at the end of your life, takes some of the agonizing pressure and guesswork away from your family. You have already made your choices.

Your Personal Directive tells them:

– whether you wish to be kept alive indefinitely on life support systems,  when there is no reasonable probability of recovery;

– whether you wish to be an organ donor;

– whether you wish to be buried or cremated;

– whether or not you want religious services.

Without a Personal Directive no one has the authority to speak to doctors for you, not even your spouse or immediate family members. Doctors, by law, cannot take instructions from anyone unless they are named in a Personal Directive.

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