Make Your Wishes Known Now
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2005-06-29 14:56:26
Advances in medical treatment allow us to prolong life like never before. But along with that power comes responsibility.
Imagine lying in a hospital bed, unable to communicate or breathe on your own. Your family stands above you, wondering what to do.
Decisions on whether to prolong life can involve great turmoil and debate. Questions over the quality of a loved one's life and what that person would have or would not have wanted done under the circumstances conjure up emotional and personal feelings that have been known to tear even close families apart.
Now there is a tool available to all Wyoming residents that can help alleviate some of the difficult debate that accompanies health-care decisions. The Wyoming Health Care Decisions Act of 2005 provides a simple and comprehensive form for residents to record their personal wishes. The form is universally accepted by doctors, hospitals and lawyers within the state and in many other states too.
Please use this guide to walk you through completing the Wyoming Advance Health Care Directive.
Recent well publicized end-of-life cases have shown that every adult, no matter how young or old—or how sick or well—should have an advance health-care directive in place, just in case. Think of it as a gift to your loved ones. Save them the angst of worrying whether they are making the decisions that you would have wanted. Let them know now.
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