http://www.oag.state.md.us/Healthpol/adirective.pdf
In your directives, you can designate someone to make decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself. That is primarily what I plan to do, since I find it difficult to describe in words the situations in which I would or would not want to be kept alive, and since I trust my children to make the right decision for me. The designation of a health care agent is the first part of the form, and you can indicate the powers that your agent will have and when they will take effect.
The second part of the form is for designating what measures you wish to be taken and what measures you wish not to be taken to prolong your life under appropriate conditions (or you can leave decisions entirely to your agent).
Also included are a living will and an organ donation addendum.
All of these forms, if properly witnessed (a notary is not needed in Maryland, but may be in other states -- New York requires notarization) are legal documents which will prevent what happened with Terri Schiavo. The hard part is deciding what you want to say in the documents, but the law recognizes that the choice is yours.
The documents should be reviewed periodically.
Steve.
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