Relatives in the midst of medical decisions at the end of life: anticipating, representing, hesitating

In Switzerland, there are different legal provisions to manage medical decisions in the event of the loss of decision-making capacity or the inability to express oneself (patient-appointed proxy, advance directives, power of attorney). These tools, which Switzerland has legislated on in 2013, and that redefine the national adult protection law, aim at promoting and ensuring patients' self-determination and familial solidarity. This article examines the conditions for the emergence of such tools, their moral rationales and the way proxies implement them practically. Based on a research conducted through interviews, the authors reflect on how the place and role of informal care-givers unfold in end of life situations. If the delegation of certain decisions to proxies is a sign of a certain " democratization " in decision-making, it also generates uncertainties that question its effectiveness. More generally, the authors question the place of proxies in the medical institution.