Decisions at the End of Life



Decisions at the End of Life

Introduction

The end of life decisions and care process are a significant aspect of the health care delivery. The circumstances of death has been shaped by the medical technologies as it has provided the individuals with various options regarding how, where and when to die. Through the technology, the health providers are able to sustain the lives of the patients during a time when there is little to none hope for the patient's recovery. However, some patients may not be comfortable with the artificial existence as it could also be painful for them. Furthermore, they may also be painful for the family members and loved ones of the patients. There are numerous ethical and legal considerations regarding the end of life decisions. These ethical and legal considerations will be discussed and highlighted in this paper.

Ethical and Moral Stance

The health care professionals are encouraged to ensure that the ethical and moral considerations are analyzed in order to ensure that the issues are properly and appropriately take care of (Smith, 2012). Following are the ethical and moral considerations regarding the end of life decisions:

The health care professionals are required to promote the self-determination of the patient in terms of the end of life decisions, especially when the patient is not capable to make his own decision. The informed adult patients or their surrogates have the legal and ethical rights for accepting or refusing the intervention or treatment that has been recommended by the health care professional. This is based on the ethical principles of autonomy.

When making an end of life decision, it must be noted that all the aspects must be taken into consideration. The discussion must be truthful and open and the situation of the patient and all the intervention ...