fear of death , page-85

  1. Enn
    1,463 Posts.

    "For example a person may write into his/her will that if he/she loses all awareness, and relies entirely on life support that the support systems should be turned off. The challenge may be to really know that the person has lost all awareness. "
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    There would be no point in writing anything like that into a Will, given that a Will only comes into effect on one's death.

    If you want to issue the appropriate instructions for what treatment you do or do not want in the event of your being unable to speak for yourself, then you need to complete an Advance Health Directive (called a Living Will in some States).

    This is a legally binding document, completed in conjunction with your doctor when you are absolutely able to make cogent decisions and can be downloaded from the Justice Department's website in your State. It provides for you to exclude the application of various life preserving measures such as antibiotics, artificial respiration, etc.

    A psychiatrist is specifically suggested because they are medically trained so have the capacity to understand physiological illness, plus the additional training to determine if some condition like eg schizophrenia exists which might render the patient's apparent wishes as not based in a realistic understanding of his/her situation.

    In repeated surveys of the Australian public, approximately 80% of the population are in favour of voluntary euthanasia.
 
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