The Uniform Rights of the Terminally Ill Act (1985, revised 1989), was recommended as a

Uniform Act In the United States, a uniform act is a proposed state law drafted and approved by the Uniform Law Commission (ULC), also known as the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL). Federalism in the United States traditi ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The Uniform Rights of the Terminally Ill Act subsequently was passed by many states. The Uniform Rights of the Terminally Ill Act was replaced as a recommended Uniform act by the Uniform Health-Care Decision-making Act in 1993. The law allows a person to declare a

living will ''Living Will'' is an American comedy film starring Ryan Dunn, Gerard Haitz and April Scott. Cast *Ryan Dunn - Belcher *Gerard Haitz - Will *April Scott - Krista Production In 2011, the domestic distribution rights to the film were purchased ...

specifying that, if the situation arises, he or she does not wish to be kept alive through

life support Life support comprises the treatments and techniques performed in an emergency in order to support life after the failure of one or more vital organs. Healthcare providers and emergency medical technicians are generally certified to perform basic ...

terminally ill Terminal illness or end-stage disease is a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and is expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer, dementia or advanced he ...

or in a

coma A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...

. The patient may also obtain a health care

power of attorney A power of attorney (POA) or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs (which may be financial or regarding health and welfare), business, or some other legal matter. The person auth ...

. This power of attorney appoints an agent to make medical decision for the patient in case the patient becomes incompetent. Many people make use of this act because they do not wish to endure any pain or suffering if weakened by a fatal disease. They want to "

die with dignity Dignified death, death with dignity, dying with dignity or dignity in dying is an ethical concept that refers to the end-of-life process avoiding suffering and maintaining control and autonomy. In general, it is usually treated as an extension of t ...

," so that family members will not have to go through emotional pain of watching their loved one sleep through many years of life with no response to any stimuli. This form of death is known as passive

euthanasia Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eut ...

, where death is not inflicted with drugs, but is allowed by cutting off life support.

References

*Saunders, Legal and ethical issues in health care Occupations (Aiken) Pg 65¹*Saunders, Legal and ethical issues in health care Occupations (Aiken) Pg 65¹

References

See also