SAR HP 252 Lecture Notes - Lecture 12: Advance Healthcare Directive, Brain Death
2 May 2018
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DEATH, DYING AND HOSPICE:
Legal and Medical Definitions
• Clinical Death – traditionally defined as a lack of heartbeat and respiration
• Contemporary definition is “brain death”
o No movement to stimulation/pain, no respiration for 1 hour, a flat EEG for 10
minutes, lack of motor reflexes or postural activity
Question: if we can extend life, should we?
• Bioethics creates an essential tension between human values and technological advances
• Euthanasia – the practice of ending life for reasons of mercy
o Yes: the concern for the quality of life and respect for the individual
o No: advances for life to be extended by extraordinary means
o 2 Types: Active & Passive
▪ Active – deliberately ending one’s life
• Causes moral and religious concerns
• There is controversy around physician-assisted suicide
• Most state laws prevent this
▪ Passive – allowing a person to die by withholding available treatment
• Often requires legal or court involvement
• Without advance directives (essentially a will or set of written
wishes) nourishment cannot be stopped
Making Intentions Known
• Living Will – a document where a person states their preferences and intentions in the
event that they may be unable to make their intentions known
• Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) – names an individual who will have the legal
authority to make decisions and speak for the person
• TED TALK – it is important to have open conversations with people before they are
unable to have these
o Small Idea – have important conversations with people who can care and make
decisions for you in the instance when you cannot
▪ Questions: In the event that you become too sick to speak for yourself,
who would you like to speak for you? Have you spoken to this person
about the things that are important to you so that we have a better idea of
what it is to do?
o Big Idea (more political) – reclaim the medical processes, give people back the
medical control
▪ Not stopping euthanasia but providing options in spite of it
Life Stage Differences
• Young Adults – integrate feelings/emotions with their thinking about death, which
lessens their feelings of immortality
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