The centerpiece of the program is a one-page form that never leaves the patient. That means being kept clean and private, and receiving medications for pain. The form is simple and direct, without any hospital logos. There is also a wallet version. Paramedic Sandy Ward says the document gives her clear direction.
People have a right to die with some dignity.
And to be perfectly honest it's not always incredibly dignified to stand there and see the stuff that we do to them when they're in a critical condition. And, more often than not, heroic emergency measures do not save the life of someone who is terminally ill. Terry Schmidt is an emergency doctor at OHSU, whose job is to pluck people from the brink of death. And yet, she says for some patients help does not mean saving their lives. One of the most important things that I ever do is do something that helps in the dying process.