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Article
Changing the Paradigm of Advance Directives to Avoid Prolonged Dementia
Bill of Health, blog platform of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law & Policy at Harvard Law School (2017)
  • Norman L Cantor, Rutgers Law School - Newark
Abstract
For some people, the specter of being mired in progressively degenerative dementia is an intolerably degrading prospect. One avoidance tactic is to take steps to end one's existence while still competent. That risks a premature demise while still enjoying a tolerable lifestyle. The question arises whether an alternative tactic -- an advance directive declining all life-sustaining intervention once a certain point of debilitation is reached -- might be preferable. This article describes the legal and moral foundation for an advance directive declining even simplistic interventions at a relatively early stage of decline. My own model directive is included.
Keywords
  • Advance Directives,
  • Death with Dignity,
  • Medical Jurisprudence,
  • Alzheimer's disease
Publication Date
April 20, 2017
Citation Information
Norman L Cantor. "Changing the Paradigm of Advance Directives to Avoid Prolonged Dementia" Bill of Health, blog platform of the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law & Policy at Harvard Law School (2017)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/norman-cantor/6/