About Living Wills

With today's advanced technology, physicians are often better at keeping people alive than at curing them. For certain individuals, a chance at longer life is worth any price. But someone who has lived a full life may not want technology to stretch that life a few weeks longer-especially if those weeks will be spent on a ventilator.

If you're feeling well now, it's natural to avoid thinking about-much less planning for -the sort of medical care you'd like doctors to provide you near the end of your life. But disaster can strike without warning. If you fail to make your wishes known now, you may never get the chance.

Miracles do occur. Some people whose condition seems hopeless do recover. But in my experience-as a physician and as a healthcare consumer-such miracles usually occur early in the course of an illness. Pulling out all the technological stops in hopes of producing such a miracle often makes it impossible for the person to die peacefully.

Sixty years ago, most Americans died at home. Today, the overwhelming majority die in hospitals. Death at home affords privacy, dignity and the opportunity for closeness with loved ones. All of this is simply not possible in the hospital. Home health-care services such as visiting nurses can help the family cope with caring for a dying relative.