I Will Decide

I have a friend undergoing major surgery. He was afraid that he was not adequately prepared should he not make it or be incapabe of making his own decisions about subsequent medical care. He was right to be concerned.

If one hopes to direct the quality of last days, preparing is not only responsible but critical. According to Attorney Rick B. Weaver, elder law specialist (817-306-5962 or rweaver@shannongracey.com), “each person should consider signing three documents:


•A Directive to Physicians (giving the family directions when the person is on life support with no chance of recovery);

•A Medical Power of Attorney (appointing an agent to make medical decisions if the person is incapacitated); and

•A Do Not Resuscitate Order (done when a person is in extremely poor health and does not want to be resuscitated in a medical emergency).


The agent and back-up agent on the Medical Power of Attorney are important designations. They function like an executor on a will. If a person appoints someone as a medical agent who is not committed to carrying out the person's wishes, problems can result in the same way that an executor can fail to carry out the terms of the will.

The decision about whether or not to receive artificial feeding and hydration is becoming a larger issue each year. If a person does not want artificial feeding and hydration, this should be set forth in the Physician's Directive.

If a person does not want to be revived, it’s critical that the person sign a Do Not Resuscitate Order and keep it in close proximity. Otherwise, it’s possible that emergency medical personnel may revive the patient without knowing about the Do Not Resuscitate Order.”

Being prepared takes on new meaning when the quality of our life is at stake. You will also make it easier on family members who would be necessitated to make the life saving or altering decisions if these documents are not already in place.