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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Thank you doctor for this important comment.

I am the attorney turned hospice practitioner and am also a onetime premed zoology student who interned at a regional hospital’s oncology center. I’ve continued to be a reader of science and particularly medical science since my path changed decades ago, and my inclination toward medicine is what brought me to hospice care.

I have attended dozens of deaths in hospice and a few in my own family as well. I have very clear views about how I will respond to any number of diagnoses I might encounter as I age. I have a detailed living will and a medical POA I trust wholeheartedly. I have every intention to die like a doctor.

When I was practicing law for a short time before bailing I ran a solo practice in a small country town in rural America. When I opened up I had many clients come in for estate planning and I made it my practice to offer free preparation of living wills/medical directives to them, and eventually I extended that offer to all my clients whether family law, criminal, civil etc. I would say close to 75% deferred my offer to provide this service.

Americans have a very hard time contemplating death and planning for it. Most have no estate planning in place even if they have children. The vast majority do not have advanced medical directives with end of life wishes established. This is exactly why our healthcare system is crippled by exorbitantly costly end of life care AND why so many families have very negative experiences of losing a grandparent or parent in a hospitalised, medicalised death that is clinical and sadly often cold. [/quote]

Greetings and thanks back to you. :) Thank you for doing the hard work, and thank you for staying in the play. Hospice has so much that is rewarding, and it can also tear right through you. Keep taking care of yourself, okay? [/quote]

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