Dr. Tepperman
Dr. Tepperman
anyone courts discuss family input issues leave likely needs time whether
The family needs to know whether they want to be on a ventilator or not. Discuss those issues with your friends, your family, with anyone who is likely to have significant input when the time comes. Don't leave it to the courts to designate your proxy.
adverse bad effect effects everybody headache knows outweigh positive treatment
Every treatment can potentially have an adverse effect. Everybody knows even two aspirins for a headache has a bad effect for someone somewhere. On balance, positive effects have to outweigh the negative.
abstract adequately based beliefs best committed decide expected knowledge stable values
Proxies should be competent, adequately informed, emotionally stable and committed to your interests. They're expected to decide as if they were you -- that is, based on their best knowledge of your values and your beliefs and not based on their own values and beliefs or some kind of abstract best interest.