I am confused about end of life medical procedures and need advice concerning my own future demise

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Holly3278

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Hey everyone. I am confused about end of life medical procedures about my future death. You see, I am disabled and I believe that there is a high likelihood that the day will come when I will be in the hospital or nursing home and will need to be on life support. I don’t really understand the teaching of the Catholic Church on end of life issues such as ordinary means and extraordinary means. I do know that food and water are ordinary means and that it would be immoral to not let a patient have them. Other than that, I don’t know hardly anything about the issue.

So anyway, my family is not Catholic and they don’t know the Catholic teaching on end of life issues either. I believe that one of my family members would be in charge of medical decisions if I am not able to make them myself. I am afraid that they might choose to do something that would go against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

So basically I would like to come up with a living will or some sort of legal document that would make sure that my end of life care would be fully in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church. However, I have no idea how to go about doing this and I certainly cannot afford a lawyer or attorney.

So anyway, I would greatly appreciate some advice and comments. Thanks everyone!
 
This is an issue that is not just moral, but medical and legal, as well.

You might get professional help in finding the answers you need from Physicians for Compassionate Care: pccef.org/
It is an organization that got started in response to Oregon’s assisted suicide movement. It aims to protect the dignity and welfare of patients nearing the end of their lives. I think they can help you find the help you need to have your affairs in the order you want them to be.
 
You can obtain a “Living Will” stating your specific requirements for end of life care from any Hospital or Hospice Care Unit in your area. Your physician’s office may also have them. Either take the form to your Priest, or have him visit your home and help you with your choices on the form. (There are only a couple of choices on each question, it’s very simple). Then, go to your local bank, or Hospital and sign it IN FRONT OF WITNESSES and have it notarized. The Notary Public, if at your Bank, will do it for about $1.00 or free if you are a customer. If necessary, have your Priest or someone else who knows you well go with you to sign as a Witness, to make it legal. Then, make at least several copies (also can be done at the M.D.'s office or the Bank, keep one, give one to your M.D., one to your Parish, and KEEP THE ORIGINAL IN YOUR PURSE OR WITH YOU. This will assure that your wishes are in line with Catholic teaching, and that NO ONE can set it aside. You can also obtain a simple 1 or 2 page will from any good Stationary store, have someone at the Parish type in at the bottom of it your last wishes for end of life care, and also get this paper NOTARIZED AND WITNESSED. This will protect your rights in almost every state I know of, and no one can say, "oh, I once heard her say ‘blah, blah’ " and change your preferences.

As a Nurse, I often Witnessed such documents, which is legal for a Nurse to do, so long as they are NOT a Beneficiary in the Will. I always had such Living Wills in the charts of my patients, and they had to be followed, both by the Nurses and the Doctors! Family could not change them later, even if they had a Medical Power of Attorney. By the way, you can also get a Medical Power of Attorney, as a fill-in form at a Stationary Store, have someone pick one or even two up for you (the extra in case you mess one up) for a couple of dollars, and also get that NOTARIZED AND WITNESSED!! These documents should be done PRIOR to the end of life scenario, and prior to being terminally ill. I have seen them done by Terminally Ill patients, but if you should become confused by medications or illnesses, the family can have a good case for ignoring them and a good argument to use with the Doctor! Even young people should have them done. (Remember Teri Shiavo? (sp) She had not had one done, since she was young (in her 20’s or 30’s) and the families fought in court for years to set aside her parent’s decisions, and her husband’s decision was allowed to prevail. If she’d had such a document, notarized and witnessed on file with the Doctor and Parish, the case would never have made headlines!

I have both here at home and on file in my medical records at my Doctor’s office, and have had them since my 50’s. I’m also disabled and now in my 70’s, and plan to re-write both AGAIN, so that there is no question of my wishes!! God bless and assist you. It is wise to plan ahead when you (like me) already know that your time is limited. I am still able to get around, but have no close relatives left at all, but the few I have – I have made certain they cannot change what I have chosen. (They aren’t Catholic, and would like to obtain my home and what little money I have left). Now, I’ve made sure they can’t!
 
The very best thing to do is to have a person who is designated with your medical power of attorney. This person should be knowledgeable about the issues involved or able and willing to find out the answers. The person should also be assertive enough to stand up against medical professionals when there is a conflict.

Altho your relatives are not Catholic, one who is willing to act according to Catholic positions and your wishes would probably work well, as long as if anything out of the way came up they would be willing to discuss it with a priest. Unless you know a Catholic person who could do this for you.
 
Hey everyone. Thank you all for the answers. It sounds to me like I should get a Living Will. I don’t know about the medical power of attorney thing though. It seems too complicated for me. Would a Living Will alone be enough to protect my wishes?
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. Thank you all for the answers. It sounds to me like I should get a Living Will. I don’t know about the medical power of attorney thing though. It seems too complicated for me. Would a Living Will alone be enough to protect my wishes?
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In practical terms, a person with legal authority will safeguard your wishes better than a piece of paper alone. If you can, get both.

In our state, these are forms that doctors’ offices will have on hand, so that it is not something that requires a visit to an attorney to set up. Ask your own doctor about the rules that apply in your jurisdiction.
 
St_Francis said:
The very best thing to do is to have a person who is designated with your medical power of attorney. This person should be knowledgeable about the issues involved or able and willing to find out the answers. The person should also be assertive enough to stand up against medical professionals when there is a conflict.
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👍
I had my father’s medical power of attorney. I was able to decide things when he couldn’t. We had talked extensively about what he wanted and what he didn’t. His desires were in line with Church teaching so it was pretty easy to know what to do.
Altho your relatives are not Catholic, one who is willing to act according to Catholic positions and your wishes would probably work well, as long as if anything out of the way came up they would be willing to discuss it with a priest. Unless you know a Catholic person who could do this for you.
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My husband has my power of attorney. He isn’t Catholic. But I trust him, with my life.
 
maryjk said:
👍
I had my father’s medical power of attorney. I was able to decide things when he couldn’t. We had talked extensively about what he wanted and what he didn’t. His desires were in line with Church teaching so it was pretty easy to know what to do.
My husband has my power of attorney. He isn’t Catholic. But I trust him, with my life.
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It is also a good idea when in a large family to give one particular person (the paperwork may be set up to name one person with a successor in the case that person cannot fulfill the duty) the medical power of attorney. Legal power of attorney is a separate thing, with different concerns that go along with it, so that is probably a topic for another thread.
 
EasterJoy said:
It is also a good idea when in a large family to give one particular person (the paperwork may be set up to name one person with a successor in the case that person cannot fulfill the duty) the medical power of attorney. Legal power of attorney is a separate thing, with different concerns that go along with it, so that is probably a topic for another thread.
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👍

My husband was the successor for my father’s.
 
EasterJoy said:
In practical terms, a person with legal authority will safeguard your wishes better than a piece of paper alone. If you can, get both.

In our state, these are forms that doctors’ offices will have on hand, so that it is not something that requires a visit to an attorney to set up. Ask your own doctor about the rules that apply in your jurisdiction.
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Okay, I have a question. Would filing out the Living Will paper cost anything? Is there any sort of fee that usually goes along with that sort of thing?

Also, about the Power of Attorney, does that cost anything usually?
 
No, filing a Living Will or Medical Power of Attorney has no charge, most hospitals and doctors’ offices have them available. Getting it notarized MIGHT have a charge, if you have a bank account or are a member of a credit union you can get it notarized at one of those for free.

I agree that you should have a copy of the documents in your purse, and you should have copies at your doctor’s office and file one at your closest hospital.

A Medical Power of Attorney gives you a person who will be your advocate should an accident or illness render you incapable of making decisions. It is always better to have someone to speak for you, rather than just the Living Will.
 
Magdalen2013 said:
No, filing a Living Will or Medical Power of Attorney has no charge, most hospitals and doctors’ offices have them available. Getting it notarized MIGHT have a charge, if you have a bank account or are a member of a credit union you can get it notarized at one of those for free.

I agree that you should have a copy of the documents in your purse, and you should have copies at your doctor’s office and file one at your closest hospital.

A Medical Power of Attorney gives you a person who will be your advocate should an accident or illness render you incapable of making decisions. It is always better to have someone to speak for you, rather than just the Living Will.
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If memory serves correctly, in our jurisdiction only the power of attorney forms had to be notarized. I think the medical power of attorney only had to be signed by all involved–that is, we had to get the person we named to sign on that they were willing to do it.
 
Holly,
Living wills have some problems, including the fact that sometimes hospital personnel are too busy to read the fine print.

This is a link to a thread with a link to an audio about living wills and a quick partial summary of what was in the talk.
 
Magdalen2013 said:
No, filing a Living Will or Medical Power of Attorney has no charge, most hospitals and doctors’ offices have them available. Getting it notarized MIGHT have a charge, if you have a bank account or are a member of a credit union you can get it notarized at one of those for free.

I agree that you should have a copy of the documents in your purse, and you should have copies at your doctor’s office and file one at your closest hospital.

A Medical Power of Attorney gives you a person who will be your advocate should an accident or illness render you incapable of making decisions. It is always better to have someone to speak for you, rather than just the Living Will.
Click to expand...
And if you don’t have access to a notary public through your bank or credit union, a lot of small business centers–Pack & Ship stores, UPS stores, etc–have one there. Their fees are generally extremely reasonable; I think I paid $5 at the most the last time I had to have something notarized, and that was only a couple of years ago. Well worth it!
 
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