In article ,
Han wrote:


was personally relatively unaffected (well ...). So one question is why
not more people decided to write down and notarize their desires as to
what should be done in case ... etc. The other question is whether
society should formalize more of the options when those last moments
become a question of what to do.

The answer to your first question is (I think) largely secondary to
people in US don't think they are going to die. We don't talk about it,
we don't want to think about it. Cultural in nature.
I am not all that comfortable in "society" deciding these kinds of
questions for the individual. Although I am equally concerned about
society having to PAY for certain types of Hail Mary care. Just another
thing I don't think we as a society have hashed out yet, unlike others.
Although I do think one thing that society (ie lawmakers) should do
immediately is give these force of law. I have seen bunches of time when
I was serving on my hospital's ethics committee where the patient had
the proper paperwork, but the family intervened and required "everything
that could be done should be done for grandma", usually with all sorts
of threats of legal and/or going to the press involved. The physicians
and hospitals need better cover in the situations where the more vocal
relatives don't want to give up.

I do realize those things are very personal, and touch on religious
beliefs as well as feelings of the soon to be bereft, and I will respect
whatever decisions are made. But it should be considered beforehand
(IMNSHO).
Everybody that enters the hospital for any reason is given a brochure
on living wills, powers of attorney for health care, etc. Most ignore
them, including I am somewhat embarrassed to admit, me.

--
People thought cybersex was a safe alternative,
until patients started presenting with sexually
acquired carpal tunnel syndrome.-Howard Berkowitz