Families encouraged to let "unresponsive" loved ones die (Australia)

Australia Courier-Mail ^ | 5/26/08 | Renee Viellaris

[wagglebee]

FAMILIES will be encouraged by the Federal Government to let their "unresponsive" loved ones die if their medical treatment is costly and futile. The new proposed health guidelines, to be given to Health Minister Nicola Roxon within weeks, coincide with a Senate report on a euthanasia bill introduced by Greens Leader Bob Brown.

The guidelines centre on withdrawing treatment - such as tube-feeding - from coma or brain-dead patients if procedures are "risky, intrusive, destructive, exhausting, painful or repugnant" and cost outweighs benefit or success.

The Government's Australian Health Ethics Committee (AHEC) has drafted separate papers for families and health professionals, and advises educating the community about treatment that can be "overburdensome".

The guidelines only apply to patients in post-coma unresponsiveness (PCU) and a minimally responsive state (MRS).

Some PCU patients, who have had a brain injury, drug overdose or stroke, appear to sleep and wake normally but show no signs they are aware or do not speak or respond.

A minimally responsive state is where a patient comes out of a coma and provides random responses such as blinking or moving a finger.

The measures are not advocating euthanasia but designed to foster better communication between doctors and families.

[wagglebee]

The guidelines centre on withdrawing treatment - such as tube-feeding - from coma or brain-dead patients if procedures are "risky, intrusive, destructive, exhausting, painful or repugnant" and cost outweighs benefit or success.

Well, since there is NO risk, intrusion, destruction, exhaustion or from a feeding tube and because, by definition, to deny someone food and water is repugnant, it seems that the culture of death will simply focus on the cost.

[wagglebee]

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[floriduh voter]

Isn’t that special? No medical treatment even though they have a heartbeat and you know, Ambien’s waking up a lot of people. Maybe Australia doesn’t know about Ambien or about human rights. Do they know who they are flirting with? Starts with s and ends w/n.

[floriduh voter]

MURDERING people is becoming the norm? What is going on, wag????

[the invisib1e hand]

does it matter if it turns clockwise or counter, when something is circling the drain as fast as Australian civilization seems to be?

[JRandomFreeper]

I guess I should move and speak more when the kids are here at the house, just so they don't get the wrong idea.

/johnny

[mrsmel]

These people have very strange ideas about what is "worth" throwing money at, into the bottomless pit of social engineering programs, and what is not worth "throwing money at"--life. They constantly seek ways to fund abortion,overturn capitol punishment (so taxpayers can bear the burden of supporting convicted violent criminals for their natural lifespan), but they condemn measures to prolong, or bring to fuition, innocent life (abortion, euthanasia). They are utterly immoral and corrupt, and they are gaining in the "culture wars". But all of this was foretold.

[wagglebee]

Great points!

[8mmMauser]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

8mm

[8mmMauser]

I remember an old ad for Olympia Beer. “Its the water”