If you have had the opportunity to see my video on “It’s my party and I’ll die if I want to”, you will know that I feel everyone should discuss the topic of prolonging life artificially with their advocates while they are still healthy. (You can view the video on the home page of http://www.TheMedicalStrategist.com)
Hospitals nationally may wish to “pull the plug” on patients for whom there is no current hope of recovery, for the sake of saving millions of dollars. Statistics show that almost one-third of Medicare expenses are associated with the five percent who are dying. In fact, huge expenditures are faced by Medicare for those in the last three months of life.
Oklahoma Says You Can’t Pull the Plug!
Oklahoma has just demonstrated the importance of having life wills.The state has just passed a law protecting patients’ wishes. Legislation sponsored by Tony Lauinger, the chairman of Oklahomans for Life, states that providers may not deny life-prolonging care to terminally ill patients if they or their proxies want it. Hospitals and physicians would not be allowed to override the decision if so specified by the individual. Currently Idaho also has this law in place.
Doctors are worried that they and the hospitals will be coerced into taking expensive measures that would be utterly buy ventolin online ireland futile. Many physicians are also concerned that talks with patients and their families about their final dispositions would be obviated.
I feel that this is not so. People want to make educated decisions and we are now entering an era where patients want to be actively involved with their healthcare, not passively told what to do. It will be the doctors that inform patients what the various options are and the outcome or benefits and risks of each of these will be so that patients can make the decisions for themselves.
While this may seem frustrating for some healthcare providers, by the same token it is removing the same providers from having the pressure of making life and death decisions for others.
Have you discussed how you feel about end-of-life treatments and the extent of treatment that you want to undergo with your health proxies or advocates? Have you even thought about it for yourself?
Perhaps now is a good time, while you are healthy and we are talking about it. Decide these matters for yourself while you are still healthy and have the ability as well as opportunity to make these decisions.
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