Dear Mr. Premack: My father has been in a nursing home for six months with congestive heart condition being his major health problem. He thinks clearly and recently talked with my brother and me about his death. This is emotional for us, because he said he does not want life support. He said he wants to see a lawyer about this. We wonder why. What can a lawyer do to help with issues like life support? – O.S. The medical care system, whether a hospital or a nursing home or a h

Original Publication: San Antonio Express News, November 3, 1989 The idea that life should not be artificially sustained when there is no hope of normal life has become widely accepted in the last decade. Many people cringe at the thought of being hooked to life support machines and indefinitely sustained after their time has passed. A statutory “Directive to Physicians” helps you avoid the emotional and monetary cost of lingering death, but (contrary to popular belief) a “li