Planning for uncertainty

Most of us are uncomfortable with thoughts of our own death or serious illness - and so we put off making decisions that could help ensure that the health care we receive as we are dying is managed according to our preferences and personal values. This book explains why it is important to decide now what you want and do not want at the end of your life - and it shows you how to document those preferences and have them carried out.

Using a question-and-answer format, Planning for Uncertainty tells you what you need to know about advance directives - the living will, the durable power of attorney, and the values history. Family physicians Dr. David Doukas and Dr. William Reichel describe the medical consequences of a broad range of choices and procedures, from using respirators and ventilators to withholding nutrition and hydration. They tell why and how to prepare advance directives that address a variety of medical circumstances.

They also explore ethical issues such as active euthanasia, assisted suicide, and passive euthanasia.

As family physicians, the authors of Planing for Uncertainty have seen what happens when a dying person has lost the ability to make decisions and has failed to provide advance directives. The result can be great anguish for families and needless suffering for patients. With sample documents and a wealth of practical information, Planning for Uncertainty allows you to spare your family the difficult task of deciding for you - and to spare yourself from futile medical procedures.