Treatment at the End of Life

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How To Balance Quality of Life with Medical Care

At the end of life, sometimes illness and the treatments used to try to help people live longer can cause pain, side effects, and the inability to care for yourself.

Life support treatment can be CPR, a breathing machine, feeding tubes, dialysis, or transfusions.

Some people are willing to live through a lot for a chance of living longer.
Other people know that certain things would be very hard on their quality of life.

How well these treatments work will depend on your health and your age.

Ask your medical care team, “What will my Quality of Life be like after these treatments?”

QUESTION 11:

If you were so sick that you may die soon, what would you prefer?

Try all life support treatments that my doctors think might help. I want to stay on life support treatments even if there is little hope of getting better or living a life I value.

Do a trial of life support treatments that my doctors think might help. But, I do not want to stay on life support treatments if the treatments do not work and there is little hope of getting better or living a life I value.

I do not want life support treatments, and I want to focus on being comfortable. I prefer to have a natural death.

I am not sure

11a.

What else should your medical providers and medical decision maker know about this choice? Or, why did you choose this option?

11b.

Are there treatments you know that you would NOT want (like CPR, dialysis, or a feeding tube)? Why do you feel this way?

You may change your mind about how you feel over time.

Click an answer above to move on

At the End of Life, What Else Would Be Important to You?

QUESTION 12:

If you were at the end of life, where would you want to be?

At home

In the hospital

Either

I am not sure

QUESTION 13:

What else would be important at the end of life, such as food, music, pets, religion or spirituality, or people you want around you?

QUESTION 14:

Have you made funeral or burial arrangements? Where can your friends or family find this information?

QUESTION 15:

Have you made a will? Where can your friends or family find this information?

*Note: Wills are other legal forms. See planforclarity.org.

QUESTION 16:

What else should your medical providers and medical decision maker know about you and your choices for medical care?