As we age, we are susceptible to a myriad of diseases. Some of them hit us quickly, but some terminal illnesses kill us slowly and painfully. This is why some look into Texas’s euthanasia laws.
Euthanasia defined
Euthanasia is defined as any intentional killing of someone or permitting the death of someone who wishes to end their life because of a terminal illness or paralysis. Currently, there are only two states that explicitly allow for euthanasia or doctor-assisted suicide: Oregon and Washington state.
Health and Safety Code, Section 166.45-51
Texas allows terminally ill citizens to disengage from life-sustaining procedures, but mercy killing is not authorized in Texas. In other words, you can die naturally without intervention, and you do not have a duty to seek treatment.
The natural dying process
With the patient’s consent, Beaumont, Texas, doctors can stop life support, even if that will result in death. For example, turning off “iron lungs” or stopping intravenous nutrition will result in death, but that is legal in Texas. You can authorize such action within your estate plan.
Consent
Unfortunately, if you are under life support, you may not have the ability to consent to the removal of life support. This is why you need to include this information in your estate plan. And, through a durable power of attorney (or a living will), you can grant someone the ability to make medical decisions for you, including when to take you off life support.
Estate planning
Thinking about and planning for your end-of-life wishes can ensure that your wishes are followed, should you end up on life support. In addition, making your wishes known now will take some of the heartache away from your Beaumont, Texas, family members because they will not have to make such a gut-wrenching decision alone.