Hospice does not kill people, they make them comfortable. The person has already been deemed terminal. Hospice is there to make their passing easier and pain free. They also have been a God send to the caregiver by having aides to allow the caregiver some time to themselves. Morphine is given for pain and making it easier to breath.
As said a living will is the authors wishes if they are not able to make health decisions. My Moms was incorporated in her medical POA. She listed what she wanted and what she didn't want if she didn't have the ability to decide.
If you have people who love you and are apt to outlive you, the "living will" is an authorization for them to make decisions for you if you cannot, and instructions to let them know your general outlook and preferences. If your advance health directive says you don't ever want to go on hospice, for example, the person who is authorized to make decisions for you should know that. I think you don't want some stranger making decisions like that for you, with no written guidelines, do you? Authorizing someone who knows and loves you to make the decisions, and providing guidelines is how to avoid that. That is what a living will is.
I just finished reading "Being Mortal" by Atul Gwande, for the third time. I suggest you read his examples of persons on hospice for a better understanding of how that really works.
You're mixing apples and coal, Patdyches. One has little or nothing to do with the other. A living will is for a person to lay out his/her wishes if they can't tell a doctor themselves. They state whether they want to be kept alive at all costs or "let me go" if there's no hope--don't put me on life support for 20 years.
As far as hospices go, while there may be some hospices that have shady practices, most are kind and wonderful and do all they can to help the person and the family with what's to come.
As said a living will is the authors wishes if they are not able to make health decisions. My Moms was incorporated in her medical POA. She listed what she wanted and what she didn't want if she didn't have the ability to decide.
I just finished reading "Being Mortal" by Atul Gwande, for the third time. I suggest you read his examples of persons on hospice for a better understanding of how that really works.
As far as hospices go, while there may be some hospices that have shady practices, most are kind and wonderful and do all they can to help the person and the family with what's to come.
Don't broad-brush all hospice programs as bad.