Dying Matters

A Talk by Dr Lucy Wilson May 2026

Things to think about

There are two certainties in life: We live. We die. Some of us are nearer the end than the beginning of our lives. Most elderly people wish for an independent life for as long as we can.

• What do we want as we get older?
• What are our wishes as we approach our declining years?
• What can we still control as our physical or mental health deteriorates.
• Do we wish other people to make those decisions for us?

Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)

• You must have the mental capacity to set up an LPA and appoint one or more attorneys.
• LPA – Property and Financial Affairs – gives immediate control with your permission.
• LPA – Health and Welfare – only gives control to your attorney when you lose the mental capacity to make decisions for yourself.
• If you lose your mental capacity without an LPA, a court may need to appoint someone to act on your behalf and this can be expensive and takes time.
• You can register an LPA with the Office of the Public Guardian, costing £92 per document.
• Only give power of attorney to people you trust completely.
• You can rescind your LPA or remove / replace attorneys if you still have the mental capacity

More information on Lasting Power of Attorney

Advance Care Planning

• Proactively document your preferences, values and wishes.
• Important if you have a serious disease, have a progressive illness, are likely to lose mental capacity, or are approaching end-of-life (probably in last year)
• Think about your future and what is important to you.
• Talk to family, friends, and doctors.
• Record your wishes, preferably in writing.
• Share your plan with those involved in your care.
• Review your plan occasionally to ensure it still reflects your wishes

More information on advance care planning:

• Advance Care Planning for Individuals, Families & Carers
• Advance Care Planning – Compassion in Dying

Resuscitation after cardiac arrest, etc.

The reality is that:

• We can be resuscitated, but the outcomes are not good as we get older.
• The default is that we will all be resuscitated unless we decide to wish otherwise.
• DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) form is not a legal document.
• It is soon to be replaced by a ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) form – also not a legal document.
• Agree the form with your doctor, keep it in your Green Lyons Message in a Bottle and put that in the fridge with a sticker on the fridge and a sticker on the inside of your door.
• Living Will (Advanced Direction) – is a legal document in England and Wales (not Scotland) - see below.

Advanced Decision for Refusing Treatment – Living Wills

• Commonly shortened to Advance Decision, previously known as a Living Will
• Allows you to record any medical treatments that you do not want to be given in the future in case you later lack mental capacity to make or communicate a decision.
• You can be very specific about what you don’t want – including life-sustaining treatment.
• They are legally binding and are free to make.
• You don’t need a lawyer to make one, but you must have mental capacity when you make it.
• If you want to refuse life-sustaining treatment, you need to clearly state that your advance decision applies even if your life is at risk.
• If you want to refuse life-sustaining treatment, you need to sign and date your advance decision in the presence of a witness, who also needs to sign the advance decision.

More information on Advanced Decisions (Living Wills)

Life Sustaining Treatment

This is any medical treatment that is intended to prolong or sustain your life, e.g.

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
• Being put on a ventilator (life-support machine) to help you to breathe.
• Clinically assisted nutrition and hydration if you cannot swallow. This can be via
  • intravenous drip (directly into a vein)
  • a tube through the nose
  • or a tube directly into the stomach (known as a PEG feed).
• Antibiotics can be life-sustaining if given for a life-threatening infection such as pneumonia. They can be given via an intravenous drip, or by mouth as a tablet or liquid.

The real question is: What do you want for yourself?

Do you want to make the decision?

If so, consider DNR / ReSPECT forms or Advanced Direction / Living Will.

• Have a conversation about what matters to you
• Have some control over your end-of life
• People often say ‘Why are you asking me about that now?. I feel well’ ’I will think about that later’, but it risks not being involved in the decision process. We would recommend you think about it while you can. Consider saving your family from making hard decisions about your end-of-life care.
• Then get back to living a good life

Published: Jun 30, 2026