Why end-of-life decisions matter
End-of-life care is about more than managing symptoms — it’s about honoring values. The way you plan care in your final days can affect:
- Your comfort and dignity
- Your ability to communicate and make choices
- The burden on loved ones
- Your sense of control in the face of uncertainty
Deciding ahead means deciding on your own terms.
Types of care to consider
1. Palliative care
Specialized medical care for people living with serious illness, focused on relieving pain, symptoms, and stress — at any stage.
Can be provided alongside curative treatments.
2. Hospice care
End-of-life care for patients expected to live six months or less. Focuses on comfort, not cure.
Often provided at home, in hospice centers, or care facilities.
3. Curative care
Ongoing medical treatment intended to cure disease or prolong life.
Some patients eventually choose to stop curative efforts in favor of comfort-focused care.
Key decisions to make
1. Do you want to continue life-prolonging treatments?
This might include chemotherapy, dialysis, or ventilators. Consider quality of life, not just quantity.
2. What are your wishes for resuscitation (CPR)?
A Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order allows you to decline CPR or intubation in the event of cardiac or respiratory arrest.
3. Would you want a feeding tube or IV hydration if you couldn’t eat?
Artificial nutrition can sustain life but may not always align with a patient’s goals.
4. Where do you want to spend your final days?
At home, in hospice, in a hospital, or somewhere else meaningful?
5. Who should speak for you if you can’t speak for yourself?
Appoint a healthcare proxy — someone who understands your values and can advocate on your behalf.
Legal documents to prepare
- Advance Directive: Describes your wishes for medical care
- Living Will: Specifies what treatments you do or don’t want
- Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare: Appoints someone to make medical decisions for you
- POLST (Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment): A medical form for patients with serious illness, often used in emergency care
Talk to your doctor or legal advisor to ensure your documents are valid and accessible.
When to have these conversations
The best time to talk about end-of-life care is before it becomes urgent. Consider discussing:
- After a new diagnosis
- When entering old age
- If you or a loved one begins hospice or palliative care
- During routine legal or estate planning
These conversations are hard — but they offer tremendous relief later on.
Including cryopreservation in your planning
For individuals considering cryopreservation, end-of-life decisions become even more critical.
At Tomorrow.bio, we guide patients through:
- Ensuring legal death is declared under optimal conditions
- Coordinating with hospice and medical teams
- Integrating cryopreservation into advance care planning
- Respecting personal values while preparing for future medicine
Cryopreservation isn’t a replacement for end-of-life care — it’s an extension of choice. Schedule a consultation to learn more.
You deserve a voice in your care
End-of-life planning isn’t about giving up. It’s about living — and dying — on your own terms, with clarity, comfort, and dignity.
Your choices matter. Put them in writing, talk about them, and revisit them as your life changes.
About Tomorrow.bio
At Tomorrow.bio, we are dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation with the goal of giving people and pets a second chance at life. As Europe’s leading cryopreservation provider, we focus on rapid, high-quality standby, stabilization, and storage of terminal patients — preserving them until future medical technologies may allow revival and treatment.
📧 Contact us at: hello@tomorrow.bio
🌐 Visit our website: www.tomorrow.bio
🤝 Schedule a consultation: Book a call
