Many decisions have to be made when a person reaches the end of life. Some concern the type of medical care and the extent of that care that you would like to receive. Planning ahead and discussing your desires is important because you may be unable to make decisions if you are incapacitated in some way, such as being unconscious.

Here are some commonly asked questions about end-of-life care decisions:

Question: Some people choose not to receive certain types of treatment because they don't wish to prolong the dying process. What are those procedures?

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR):
  If a person’s heart stops or if that person stops breathing and the person has not indicated he or she does not want CPR,
  health care professionals usually try to revive him or her using CPR. In most cases when people have a terminal illness, this
  is not successful. (You do not need to have an advance directive to request a do-not-resuscitate order.)
• Artificial breathing: If your lungs stop working properly, your breathing can be continued using a machine called a ventilator. A ventilator is a device that pumps air into a person’s lungs through a tube in the person’s mouth or nose that goes down the throat.
• Artificial feeding: There are various methods to feed people who can no longer eat, including inserting a tube into the
  stomach through a person’s nose or through the abdominal wall to bring food and fluids directly to the stomach or by giving liquid nutrients through a catheter in the vein.

Question: What is palliative care?

Answer: Palliative care is treatment that focuses on relieving or reducing symptoms of a disease, but does not cure the disease. Keeping the patient comfortable by treating symptoms and by using analgesics (painkilling medications) to relieve pain is an important aspect of palliative care. Your doctor can work with you to make a plan to manage your symptoms, so that you get relief from the problems associated with those symptoms.

Question: What can I do to make sure my wishes regarding my health care are known and followed?

Answer: It is helpful to have advanced directives, such as Living Will (a document that states what limits you would like to place on the treatment you would receive at the end of life) and a Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (a document that states the person you have chosen to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make them for yourself).

Question: What is hospice care?

Answer: Hospice care is a type of care provided to a terminally ill patient. Hospice care focuses on enhancing the dying person’s quality of life rather than trying to cure the terminal illness. Hospice care is usually provided in the home, but also can be provided in a hospital or nursing home.

Question: What is a health care proxy?

Answer: A proxy is someone you choose (included in your Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care document) or someone who is chosen for you (when you have not given previous instructions) to “stand in” for you to make medical decisions if you become unable to make decisions for yourself. This person should understand your wishes and, therefore, should be chosen by you before you can no longer make decisions.