Perhaps people should take responsibility for themselves.

Anyone can order a NFR when entering hospital. This would be eminently practical for those with a terminal condition, or even not, and also those of older age, who may be currently well but worry about the possibility of having a stroke or heart-attack in the future.

Perhaps unfortunately, ambulance operatives automatically provide CPR and cannot be held by a NFR directive.

There is also the ability to refuse treatment and request, instead, palliative care. Such directives can be legally transmitted to a family member/friend acting on the patient's behalf, to institute in case of the patient not being in a state of mind to initiate for themselves.

It is unfair to put the onus on the medical profession to terminate life when individuals can make such decisions for themselves, and should do so.

Perhaps people should take responsibility for themselves.
Danielle,
Can you imagine how many people would not end up with stress-related illness if they were allowed to do that ?
Many people are ill as a result of authority induced stress, particularly those moron academic dreamed up social engineering schemes & corrupt law & lately utterly idiotic council regulation. If Government wants to so much control our lives then they can take on responsibility for our medical needs as well.

individual,

Perhaps I would have agreed with you except for an event I experienced.

My mother, an extremely vain woman, physically active and independent, had a massive stroke in her early 80's. I was not there. The doctors told my brother that she was not a good candidate for keeping on life-support. If she survived which was doubtful, she would be a vegetable. However, my brother insisted. My mother survived; albeit paralyzed down one side of her body.

She told me later that she could hear the discussion between my brother and doctors, and also that between the doctors themselves. She desperately hoped they would do what was necessary for her to live. This was a woman who went into depression at the first sign of a wrinkle! A woman who had had two lots of plastic surgery.

In her position, I would have preferred the doctors do nothing, and let me die. If I had been with her when she was admitted to hospital, I would have requested that her life-support be turned off, believing that I would be complying with her wishes. And I would have been wrong.

She lived another six years bed-ridden and needing full-time care.

If nothing else, this demonstrated to me that people should make their own decisions ahead of time and let others know.

Danielle,
Have you thought of what decision your mother would have made if it were her mother ?
Considering her vain nature.
Who ended up paying for the six years full time care ?

individual,

I really don't know the answer to your question.

As stated, if I had been in her position, I would have wanted life-support turned off.

However, as it was, she didn't want this. Considering she could hear the conversations around her, I am glad that the decision hadn't been mine to make.
.
Does one have the right to believe, and act on it, that another's life is not worth saving - especially as that would have gone against a person's wishes. My mother never once complained about having to live the life she was condemned to. Some people are surprisingly stoic. Even under such conditions, they see life as worth living.

This is why I consider it necessary to have guidelines in place. I don't want another to make such a decision for me. As we hope to make our own decisions during life, I think we should also make them for end of life.

Does one have the right to believe, and act on it, that another's life is not worth saving
Danielle,
I fully agree with you on that however, does anyone then have the right to demand the support from someone else ?
Why is it that others can demand that we support them but when we need support then suddenly these rights seem to disappear. Those who don't contribute but quite happily accept the support that comes from taxes we pay come to mind.