Taking Control of the End-of-Life

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In her latest release Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of the New Old Age, Susan Jacoby offers a critique of the “new old age” — the belief that the baby boom generation just beginning to turn 65 can look forward to an old age unmarred by physical or mental deterioration, financial woes, or emotional struggles. Jacoby attacks the treatment of aging as an avoidable “disease” in our culture, and the widely-held belief (or hope) in America that the new generations can stay forever young with the right lifestyle.

In a recent Op Ed for the New York Times, Jacoby offered the story of her mother’s final years, illustrating how her mother — with proper foresight and understanding — was able to take control of her end-of-life experience through explicit advance directives.

Both the book and the article by Jacoby point to the desperate need in our culture to accept aging and the end-of-life as part of our natural lives, and to prepare for them just as we would any other part of life.

By creating a clear advance directive that explains what you expect for end-of-life care once you are too sick or injured to express your wishes, you are able to take control of that part of your life. With an overwhelming number of Americans preferring to die in the comfort of their homes and a disappointing minority putting those wishes into writing, this discussion couldn’t be more important.

SevenPonds’ simple and comprehensive guide to creating advance care directives helps you understand your options for end-of-life care and how to express your wishes now, so that they’re honored when the time comes.

Related articles

• Advance Directives Let You Take Control at the End-of-Life
• Let’s Have a Discussion About End-of-Life Care
• Interview with Lora Matz, MS., LICSW