Peace of mind with Advance Decision (From Bournemouth Echo)

Peace of mind with Advance Decision

8:40am Thursday 18th March 2010 in

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As part of Dying Matters week, I am urging people to consider what treatment they would or would not like to receive at the end of life, and secondly to make their choices legally binding in an Advance Decision, sometimes known as a living will.

Making an Advance Decision will not only make it very clear to your medical team what you do and do not want to happen to you at the end of your life, but it will also give comfort to your loved ones to know that you are being treated in the way that you want.

This process is straightforward and does not require any involvement from legal professionals.

With an Advance Decision you can have the peace of mind of knowing that your medical treatment wishes will be respected, even if you are unable to communicate. You can get an Advance Decision pack free from the charity Compassion in Dying: compassionindying.org.uk.

Sarah Wootton, CEO Compassion in Dying, London