life support

[jwally]

In cases in which life support is deemed futile by physicians, can a Dr terminate the life support against the wishes of the family member that has been named their durable power of attorney for healthcare, or healthcare proxy?

 

[Proserpina]

This is a tricky area. Technically, since there is presumably valid paperwork pertaining to the issue, the hospital should follow the directive.

However, if the treatment team truly believes that continued life support will not accomplish anything other than keeping the bills building up they do have the right to take the proxy to court, request that the patient becomes either a ward of the State, treating physician or something along those lines, and then make the decision themselves.

Going against the wishes of the proxy without getting done legally can lead to an awful lot of trouble.

 

[disagreeable]

From a moral standpoint, if there is one speck of conscious left, do you really want to subject it to sustained torture? Speaking from personal experience, one of my medical issues are total paralysis spells that happen randomly when I lay down. It is an unbelievable Hell to lay there conscious, yet unable to move, sometimes for a few hours, until my ability to move returns or I attract someones attention by making closed mouth guttural noises.

 

[mightymoose]

Does this family member have the appropriate documents, or is the family member working with some kind of informal authority?