Caring Advocates: to plan and honor end-of-life decisions

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The basic question is, who should make the determining decisions about the last chapter of your life; that is, when and how you die? Many people are not so much afraid of death as they are of dying, which can be a prolonged process of maintaining mere biologic existence where personhood has been lost and replaced by dependency and indignity, or a process marked by unnecessary pain and suffering where there is no hope for improvement.

Some organizations have long-term commitments to legalize Physician-Assisted Suicide. Dr. Terman has written a position paper on this subject in which he discusses the value in this effort, but comes to the conclusion that there are relatively very few people who would ultimately benefit from such a change in the law. (Only 36 people actually used the Death With Dignity Act in Oregon, last year.)

In contrast, to "Permit Natural Dying" for people who have lost personhood and who suffer from Devastating Irreversible Brain States has the potential to help hundreds of times as many patients. Despite the huge economic and caregiving burden that promises to be the greatest challenge our society has ever seen, few organizations have a plan to change the laws in this direction.

In contrast, the National Right to Life Committee has a plan that has captured the attention of many state legislators. Their hope is to change legislation in direct opposition: to PRESUME that unconscious patients want to be fed by tubes indefinitely. Our goal is the opposite: to PRESUME that unconscious patients want their decision-makers to Permit Natural Dying.

There are many ways to become involved. Become a Volunteer and/or join Caring Advocates® and contribute what you can afford. Express your opinions on our news BLOG. You can also send us stories about your personal experiences.