Death should not be feared, but rather, celebrated.
By Arthur Caplan, Ph.D.
COMMENTARY
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 4:45 p.m. ET March 31, 2005
Terri Schiavo has now died. She died amid an incredible cacophony of arguments, pleadings, demands, threats, prayers and commentary. That she died angered many. How she died angered many others. The attention her death elicited from so many different sources angered still others. If in the wake of her passing it is possible to put some of that anger aside, perhaps we can all ask ourselves some hard questions about what has taken place here. What should each of us take away from the incredible events of the past few weeks?
First of all, no one in the United States should be without a durable power of attorney for medical decision-making. Everyone old enough to write down who they want to make medical decisions for them must do so. Every physician must ask every patient. Every hospital and nursing home must ask and record every person’s wishes. Every priest, minister, rabbi and other religious leader must remind their followers to let their loved ones know who speaks for them.
Start a dialogue
It is not enough to write your wishes down. You need to tell the person you have picked that you have chosen them and they need to consent. You need to remember to update your written wishes every few years. You need to make sure that copies of your wishes are in the hands of those most likely to come to the hospital if you are severely injured or become very sick.
Equally important are discussions about life and death. If this case has not already made you talk to your family, friends and loved ones about your views concerning medical care then do so. Now.
Not all will agree on what to do should they or someone they love become severely disabled or lose cognitive abilities. But we need to talk about these difficult matters openly, honestly, calmly and frankly.
posted by The Paradoxical Pariah at 3:39 PM
3 Comments:
Thanks for posting that thoughtful piece.
It's kind of sad, though, that now we have to set all of our last wishes down in writing, have them notarized and held by someone other than a family member. More work and money for lawyers, that's for sure!
That's been one aspect of my Mother's current condition that all of us agree on--that she wouldn't want any extraodinary measures to keep her alive. Keeping her comfortable is one thing. Keeping her existing with a dead brain would be something completley different.
I cannot agree with you more. My husband and I have always discussed what our own wishes were concerning our death, but this case brought to our attention that we had never discussed anything with our families. It was a good opportunity for all of us to sit down together and very plainly state our choices. We haven't as yet written anything down, but the ball is rolling...
My prayers are with you and your mother.
thanks C....
One aspect of the Schiavo case that has really bothered me is that the entire family got involved in a very private matter. It has made it perfectly clear that nowadays a couple do not have the autonomy they once had, and decisions that were once made between only husband and wife must now be discussed with the entire tribe.
What's next--discussing the details of our sex lives with the entire family?? (although these days, I think my mom would laugh at my peccadilloes--but I'd rather not tell her)
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