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Read moreDoctors Determine Own End-of-life Care Decide 91 per cent of the Time
26/11/2014
Many adults want to have control over their end-of-life care but their wishes may be left at the hands of doctors 91 per cent of the time, according to a recent research released by YouGov.
The international online market research firm said in its research “Compassion in Dying” that 82 per cent of adults want to determine their end-of-life care even after they have been deprived of their capacity to act. Only 7 per cent want doctors to decide whether or not to provide medical intervention in end-of-life situations.
Yet only a dismal 4 per cent of adults have made their wishes legally binding in either an Advance Decision or a Lasting Power of Attorney.
An Advance Decision is a legal document in which a person has executed long before he lost his mental capacity wherein it is stipulated whether he should be treated medically or whether family members or doctors should refrain from administering any treatment at all in case he is nearing death.
A Lasting Power of Attorney is a document authorising loved ones or even friends to make end-of-life care decisions for an incapacitated person.
YouGov’s research revealed that 91 per cent of adults who fail to execute either a Lasting Power of Attorney or an Advance Decision have in effect left doctors to decide for them crucial end-of-life treatment decisions.
In an interview with The Independent last November 23, 2014, veteran journalist Esther Rantzen, a YouGov supporter, said the government has not done enough to raise awareness among the public regarding end-of-life rights.
Rantzen said: “Understanding your rights and taking steps to plan ahead is vitally important to make sure you have the right experience for you at the end of life.”
Davina Hehir, Director of Legal Strategy, Policy and Services for end-of-life charity Compassion in Dying, told The Independent that, "The Government needs to do more in prioritising end-of-life care and fully informing people about their end-of-life rights."
