Why Decisions Should be Made Before Terminal Illness

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Introduction Many people are afraid to make decisions concerning their wishes when they die. This includes fear of making wills and making critical decisions that affect lives of others when they are not there. When the patients are terminally ill, they become incapable of making these decisions and they are often assisted or directed by some external forces to make these decisions. This paper exploits options and conditions of different terminally ill patients with a keen look at their mental and health status. It is also going to explore on those patients with DNR (Do not Resuscitate) orders and advance directives. Health and mental status of terminally ill patients Terminal illnesses like cancer, HIV, Ebola Hemorrhagic fever and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome deteriorate the health of the patient to a point of no return. They also cause a lot of pain to the patient. When these patients health deteriorates, their capacity to make sound decision is compromised. Poor health leads to deficiency of minerals that help in thinking, a condition which greatly reduces the capability of decision making. The mental status of terminally ill patients has lesser capacity to make sound decisions as compared to a normal person. When a patient is diagnosed with a terminal illness, the mental status changes and in many cases the patients think negatively of themselves. This compromises their capacities to handle normal activities including decision-making. They sometimes react in a manner that causes outcry to the concerned parties. Some patients have gone to an extent of committing suicide while others act to harm their loved ones. This leaves the patient with little option of making the right decision as their decisions are negatively biased. A terminal... ... middle of paper ... ...vil rights. It includes health care advance directives, health care surrogate, life prolonging procedures and the case of anatomical gifts. It has all the possible outcomes incase a patient decides to pursue any of the above options. Conclusion It is important that patients and family members understand the conditions under which the patient is suffering from. People have an obligation of preparing themselves for end of live. This can be done by writing a will or an Advance Directive to guide the medical personnel and family members on what the patient wants. It can also be done by assigning a medical care proxy to decide on the patients behalf (Groopman and Hartzband, 2011). Medical personnel need to consider the patients wish and act as per the law when deciding on end-life options. Most of the decisions made by terminally ill patients are biased and compromised.

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