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‘Aggressive’ new advance directive would let dementia patients refuse food


People who fill out the directives may be more likely to have them honored if they remain at home, Schwarz said. She stressed that patients should make their wishes known far in advance and choose health care agents who will be strong advocates. Legal experts say the documents should be updated regularly.

Doerflinger, however, said creating the directive and making it available misses a crucial point: People who don’t have dementia now can’t know how they’ll feel later, yet they’re deciding in advance to forgo nourishment.

“The question is: Do we, the able-bodied, have a right to discriminate against the disabled people we will later become?” Doerflinger said.

Already, though, Schwarz has heard from people determined to put the new directive in place.

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