Thanks Mr. Brown,

I noted over on the Universal Healthcare question they are off on a tangent of rationing and killing elderly patients so I thought a new thread to address that would be a good thing.  Too bad none have taken me up on it.  If we don't have a right to healthcare and they don't have to [ay for anyone's healthcare then none of us have a right to futile care just to keep us alive so someone can collect our disability checks or social security checks etc.  The establishment doesn't have the right to keep anyone alive just because we have the technology to do it, or because the Docs think they might get sued.  When are we going to accept Best Practices and apply them to American Healthcare.  How many elderly are sitting in nursing homes or family homes with deep and painful festering bed sores or pnuemonia, or UTI's not eating and unable to care for themselves.  How many are forgotten by family and society , but by damn we can keep them alive because every life is precious and no one should say, Hey let me make you comfortable and pain free even if your breathing slows and you go quietly to sleep and die.  Why can't we do that?  We are gutless and lack conviction and morality.  We are weak and we are an embarassment to the brave people who founded and settled this nation. 

And the weakest of us hide behind rhetoric about being "True Americans"  saving our country and bringing it back to what it was"  They don't have the balls to move forward so they choose to move backwards and then when they get there they won't be able to handle the choices that await them.  Because none of their leaders have new ideas --if they have any at all it is to retread a bunch of stale 20th century concepts that will no longer work.  And all the horrible problems will still be present just without innovators to solve them and no national will to conquer them, because any new radical idea is UnAmerican.

Ok end of rant! 

RNprogressive says ...

I have a living will and Durable power of Attorney for Healthcare.  My husband and my doctor know about it and have read it.  It is very specific on when to let me go in ER ( more than 50% burned with inhalation injury etc.)  It specifies when to withold nutrition and when to let me die at home.  I believe everyone should have these documents on file as a consequence of having health insurance you should be required to have it and have it reviewed yearly, signed by your signifigant other or  POA for health care.  I want every state to allow personal choice in end of life and insure adequate pain and comfort care to all patients.  I want Hospices to be the standard of care and that no one should die in a hospital unless they are in critical condition ER.OR  or ICU.  If you have time to be home to die or in a separate hospice then that's where you should be. 

So many want individual responsibility for health insurance regardless of the circumstance-- recent loss of job, poverty, no excuses allowed.  Well I want individual responsibility and the right to make my own end of life decisions including a nice medical cocktail and my family around me to say good bye, drinking margaritas on the beach.  I won't use up all the money we have on medical care and I will have one hell of a party.  Oh yeah Mr. Brown, Alpha Male and a few other of the radical fringe on here are invited!

So if you are for self reliance in health care then go all the way and make everyone have living wills, proxy documents and end of life legislation for self determination for death.  It's only fair.

Wow, for the first time I agreewith RNProgressive.................totally. I hadone drawn up at my md's office a couple of monthes ago.   Copy with my doc, my hubby, my daughter and son and NOBODY can change anything..   No money for a fancy funeral, any funds that would be used I want tuition paid for grandbabies.  Just plant me wherever....................I'll be just a dead thing for the varmints to munch on.  I dont believe in spending vast sums of money for plantin somebody.   Well, my hubby will be at the national cemetary in Chattanooga and I guess I  get to pshar a plot with him.  They plant couples on top of each other. A way to save space .   I think its sweet........................my husband thiinks he'll hear me nagging him even in death.  





Toooodles all, get your will done!  If you dont your kids might offer your pancreas to some jerk. 

LOL, you sound like my husband.  He can't stand the idea of becoming 'worm food'.  Me, I kind of like the idea of a 'dirt nap'.  It just seems natural, like you are returning to the earth.