Assignment: Preparing for the End
Advance directives resulted from the controversy surrounding the case of Nancy Beth Cruzan, a young Missouri woman who suffered injuries in a car accident in January 1983 and who was kept alive in an irreversible vegetative state for almost eight years.
Cruzan’s parents went to court to order the hospital to remove the feeding tube that was keeping their daughter alive. The hospital appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, spurring national debate about how and when families can allow a loved one to die. In 1990, the court recognized a constitutional right to forgo life-sustaining treatment when it is clear the patient would have wanted to do so. The feeding tube was removed, and Cruzan died, surrounded by her family.
While the decisions can be difficult, preparing for the end is an activity that has to happen before it is needed. Advance directives are documents that a person can complete which lets his or her wishes be known about healthcare, life saving measures, and designated people who can make decisions if the need arises.
In this Assignment, you will examine your state’s laws regarding end-of-life advance directives (do-not-resuscitate [DNR], durable power of attorney for healthcare, living will, etc.) and complete one of these documents. (Note: You will not be asked to share your completed document, only reflect upon it).
To prepare for this Assignment:
To completethis Assignment, write a 2- to 3-page paper, which addresses the following: