irafreak Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 How can we make these decisions for others? These companies can make tons of money off the elderly but how is that different than any other line of work? I still am missing the point. You're upset that a business profits off a need? Yes, you are. Feel free to clarify? Link to comment
TGHusker Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Research shows that most Americans do not die well, which is to say they do not die the way they say they want to — at home, surrounded by the people who love them. According to data from Medicare, only a third of patients die this way. More than 50 percent spend their final days in hospitals, often in intensive care units, tethered to machines and feeding tubes, or in nursing homes. There is no statistical proof that doctors enjoy a better quality of life before death than the rest of us. But research indicates they are better planners. An often-cited study, published in 2003, of physicians who had been medical students at Johns Hopkins University found that they were more likely than the general public to have created advance directives, or living wills, which lay out specific plans for care if a patient is unable to make decisions. Of the 765 doctors studied, 64 percent had advance directives, compared with about 47 percent for American adults over 40. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/20/your-money/how-doctors-die.html?pagewanted=all With the growth of hospice organizations and similar organizations like the Clare House here in Tulsa more and more people are recognizing the importance of and the dignity of an end of life situation that is free of being 'tethered to machines and feeding tubes in nursing homes or ICUs. http://www.clarehouse.org/ Link to comment
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