Long-term care issue brief: end of life issues: year end report-2004.

End of life care is a broad issues that encompasses many issues. Three of the larger issues are assisted suicide, chronic pain management, and advance health care directives. Assisted suicide has emerged as one of the most controversial ethical issues in the medical community, and one that is complicated more by technological advances that have allowed people to live longer. But as policymakers debate assisted suicide policy, state lawmakers must also examine ways to improve pain management and end-of-life care for people who suffer from terminal illnesses. Lawmakers are also grappling with ways to make it easier for individuals to specify their end-of-life wishes through advance health care directives.