Recent publicity has brought end-of-life decisions to the forefront of many people’s thinking.

How do you want to die? What rights do you have?

What steps can you take to ensure that what you want is what happens?

These complex decisions can be overwhelming to your family and physician at the best of times, let alone when you or a loved one is facing a terminal illness. Legal alternatives, called advance directives, make your end-of-life wishes known.

Basically, an advance directive lets your family and physician know what kind of care you want when/if you suffer from terminal illness or if you are in an unconscious state or are unable to make medical decisions.

In Iowa, there are two types of advance directives:

Living Will—This set of instructions goes into effect only when you are terminally ill (an irreversible condition that, without life-sustaining procedures, will result in death in a relatively short time or a state of permanent unconsciousness from which there is no likely recovery) and lets you describe the types of treatment you want. It takes effect only when you have a terminal illness and are unable to make decisions.

Durable Power of Attorney—This document allows you to appoint someone to make health care decisions for you when you are unable to make decisions. It becomes active only when you are unconscious or unable to make medical decisions

Questions to ask

Everyone has the right to accept or refuse medical care. By creating an advance directive, you remove the burden of decision from your family and friends and at the same time ensure your wishes are carried out.

Let your family and physician know your decisions and give them copies of your wishes.

You can get copies of the advance directive forms from the Iowa State Bar Association Web site.

Ask yourself:

• Do I understand what life-sustaining procedures are?
• Whom do I want to make these decisions about my health care?
• What is important—quality or quantity of life?
• How do my spiritual beliefs fit with my choices?
• Is my advance directive a legal document?