People best learn to do comparison shopping of hospices or they could end up checking out before their time. Visit www.hospicepatients.org
Posted on 11/04/2005 3:24:09 AM PST by 8mmMauser
Family members are investigating what they consider to be suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a nursing home patient at the center of a life and death tug-of-war reminiscent of the Terri Schiavo tragedy.
Seventy-nine-year-old Jimmy Chambers died in the early morning hours of Oct. 24 after the tracheotomy tubes that deliver oxygen from a ventilator to a hole in his neck became unhooked. Family members were told Chambers, a resident of the Anne Maria Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in North Augusta, S.C., apparently pulled the interlocking tubes apart.
"We're having it investigated. We're just incredulous," Chambers' daughter, Deanna Potter, told WND in reference to her siblings. "The last time I saw dad he was blowing me a kiss. I blew him one and he blew one back."
The retired dispatcher for Holland Motor Express died approximately 10 hours later. His death certificate indicates he died of "natural causes."
"Apparently, suffocation is a 'natural cause' when you're on a ventilator. We're contesting that," said Potter. "He suffocated. He didn't just pass away. He struggled and fought. And I'm just so angry."
Potter estimates it would have taken 10 to 14 minutes for her father, deprived of oxygen, to fall unconscious, and questions why the nursing home staff didn't come to his aid.
"The oxygen-saturation meter and his ventilator both would have had alarms going off. Four-thirty, five o'clock in the morning you'd think someone would hear this," she added. "That's the thing that really bothers me and makes me suspicious."
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
I was speaking of Scott Taylor, who'se "wife" is trying to regain custody from his mom. Sorry for the confusion.
What is bothering me so much is the fact that when my mother moved up here from Florida, she was told by our attorney that the Living Will she had in Florida would not stand up her in South Carolina - that it was not considered a legal document.
This was in the mid ninties when she had checked out the validity of it.
I see. The only thing I can tell you is that today the living will, even tho it was written in 1990 took precedence over everything. I spoke with the mayor of North Augusta and he actually sneered his words to me that if Dad had changed his mind that he should've written it down. Dad changed his mind AFTER he was injured and couldn't write anything down. There was absolutely no respect for the documents we produced from witnesses. Finally, when they were all duly notarized, the courts accepted them and we think that is what finally began to change the tide.
It's bazaar and frightening. Here's the real kicker.. the living will took precedence EVEN THOUGH MY DAD COULD MAKE HIS OWN DECISIONS IF HE WASN'T BEING MEDICATED SO HEAVILY!!! The provisions of the living will had never been met, yet it was the document that ruled the day.
The euthanasiasts have planned it this way. Your dad's case is, I think, probably very common. Every hospital and health care facility regularly brings living wills and advance directives forms forward and puts pressure on the patient to sign them. Months before my dad died they asked him to sign them every couple of weeks. He repeatedly told them no. I am grateful to him for showing me that you can die just as well without them.
Oops! That was my fault. I'm sorry.
Yes, I wholeheartedly agree. I hope and pray that Scott is more fortunate than Terri. So far he has been, but his life could have the same tragic ending.
There was also no respect for his written directive. Aside from the fact that it should have been disregarded when he revoked it, the terms of it were not being adhered to. Any removal of life support could only be done if he was unable to communicate his desires. The written will must have said that, right?
So the written will didn't rule the day either. The desire to kill him took precedence over his written directive and his spoken word.
That's okay:}
Thanks for the ping!
The state, which now has legal custody of the child, wants to terminate her life support, citing medical tests that show she will never recover.
Her stepfather has launched a legal battle to keep her alive.
But more than Haleigh's future hinges on the outcome. The stepfather, Jason Strickland, 32, is accused of taking part in a savage beating that left the girl in a vegetative state and dependent on life support.
And if she dies, he could be charged with murder.
Accused stepfather fights to keep girl alive
8mm
Dr. Cyril Wecht, the Allegheny County coroner and frequent national talk-show guest who has been linked to many high-profile cases, is coming to Greensburg to promote his new book.
Wecht is the author, co-author or editor of nearly 40 books on forensic, scientific and legal topics.
This is his fifth book for the general public, and all of them are about famous or significant homicide investigations. Four are collections of cases, and one, "Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?," is devoted entirely to the murder of the girl.
Wecht was a consultant for the Charles Manson murders, in the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, and in the O.J. Simpson trial.
"I think that (O.J.) did it, but with a second person," Wecht said.
He almost stepped in for several other famous cases. He was going to work with the prosecution in the investigation of the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, who was with Sen. Ted Kennedy when she drowned in his car, but the judge denied a request to exhume her body.
The parents of Terri Schiavo wanted him present at her autopsy, but the medical examiner in Florida denied the request, Wecht said.
8mm
The resolution of the Terri Schiavo case meant "open season" on those who can't fight for themselves.
Ping
8mm
It seems that from that account that so many things that should have been good turned bad for that little girl. She does have some good friends and neighbors stepping forward now; too bad it wasn't earlier.
"Relatives and family friends say they ask about Haleigh's condition daily. They say they are trying to raise money to help cover funeral costs and memorials, if and when they become necessary. John Gamelli, whose daughter once played with Haleigh, said he and some family members have set up a fund for her at the United Bank in Westfield.Ron Drewnowski, a seminarian at St. Mary's Parish, where the Stricklands attended church, helped organize a vigil in Haleigh's honor. He said he had visited her at the hospital about six weeks ago, and she was lying in the bed, surrounded by stuffed animals. Her eyes were closed. ''I still pray for her," he said."
All these nut jobs should just move to Florida because judges here will do whatever the estranged, controlling individual wishes.
The step father should be charged with attempted murder. If somebody else kills her, they should be charged with murder. Of course, that's not how our legal system works. Nobody is responsible for their own behavior any more.
How much money would Scott Thomas' "wife" be entitled to from life insurance? That's usually the main motivation in such cases -- the money!
"The oxygen-saturation meter and his ventilator both would have had alarms going off. Four-thirty, five o'clock in the morning you'd think someone would hear this," she added. "That's the thing that really bothers me and makes me suspicious."
If it isn't murder, it is extreme neglect!!
I pray she never gets a chance to collect anything. His mom was smart to take that hair sample, it will be interesting to see the results.
I agree. "Patient's wishes" and "personal autonomy" are
deceptive propaganda only. And disregarding same is
becoming ever more blatant. And don't rely on family
unanimity either, I'm afraid, although this family was
not unanimous.
"DNR" == "DNT" Do Not Resuscitate is often read as
Do Not Treat.
What is very important to understand is that most of these documents are executed by well people, increasingly by well people who are also young (or, they are drafted by healthy young people, which is almost the same thing).
There is little that healthy young people can imagine that is worse than helplessness and disability. For this reason, they (almost) universally voice the notion, "I would rather be dead than live like that".
Of course, the situation of the mortally ill is quite different.
Everyone praises heaven, but no one wants to go there - at least not today.
Therefore, it is common (80+%) for persons who are able to cancel their "advanced directive" when their death is staring them in the face, and to elect aggressive treatment, regardless of the burdens or chance of success.
There are exceptions to this rule, mostly those involving chronic and invariably fatal diseases with a well-defined course.
Of course, the reason that insurance companies and the government have glommed on to living wills has nothing to do with autonomy - they want to kill sick people before they spend any money on them.
It is not unlikely, therefore, that interested third parties - mostly the government, but also greedy relatives and HMOs, will try to create a precedent where "living wills" can be enforced against the wishes of the patient - claiming that illness has rendered them incapable of "true" consent.
The precedents are already being set. Not only can they be enforced against the wishes of the patient, the provisions of the directive don't even need to be met. All that needs to happen is to incapacitate the patient with drugs and then take over.
You hit it! People change as they grow older and more often than not so do their ideas on many things!
8mm
moi non plus
Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
For those who watch in amazement that Michael still is swollen and puffed with his victory, look at this and post #25
Michael Schiavo thinking of his own political future ....
8mm
What can one say?
"All that needs to happen is to incapacitate the patient with drugs and then take over."
Worth repeating.
Do you still have the link to that Living Will "IQ" test that you once had linked to a few years ago? At least I think it was you who had posted that. TIA.
After three decades of urging Americans to write living wills, many doctors, lawyers and ethicists concede that these documents have largely failed.
The problems are many: Most people don't complete living wills. When they do, too often the paper isn't available when decisions about life support must be made.
Living wills, intended to ensure that patients' wishes are honored when they can't speak for themselves, rarely address the actual situations that arise. And many people don't really know in advance what treatments they would or wouldn't want.
"The 30 years of literature on living wills has shown very disappointing results," said Charles Sabatino, assistant director of the American Bar Association's Commission on Law and Aging. "The shortcomings of living wills are real. Dying is just too complicated."
Living wills not keeping promise
8mm
An excellent article! It is a must-read! Is there a FR thread on it, or did you come across it on your own?
Thanks. I did a search this morning on Google and this had just come out. Nice coincidence. Might be well worth a thread on its own. Has been out five hours.
8mm
Glad you pinged me to that article. I meant to read it a couple of days ago.
That little girl has had one messed up life. Who in her family can comfort her, and get her to respond? They're vermin. Well I'm going to say that they should keep the IV's and the feeding tube in, and disconnect the ventilator. It would be great if someone could be there encouraging her to fight, but it would have to be a teacher she knows, or a neighbor.
I don't know...
Good but disheartening article about living wills. How about a medical power of attorney?
I printed out two copies of the "will to live", but haven't gone over it yet. Would a medical power of attorney, naming someone who is not my legal next of kin, be good enough? I have personal reasons for excluding my oldest daughter.
It gives your trusted DPOA the right to make decisions instead of you.
Depending on your level of paranoia, it is probably not a good idea to use an heir.
The other missing ingredient, that everyone must have, is a doctor who is working for YOU, rather than the government or an insurance company.
What can one say, you ask? It's about the money!
We had a doctor for ten years, before I got divorced. This guy is great, and still practices up here, but I'm not his patient. Could I name him? I don't have medical insurance, but I still use the group. There's the one lady, who is a nurse practioner that I've been seeing, too.
My level of paranoia is on high alert. There's money involved.
Your own doctor never should - he has a different job.
Re: Sarasota Hospice wants to put clown statues all over Sarasota county. Clowns=Hospice? Is the Sarasota Hospice trying to improve their image or further their AGENDA with scary clowns? Don't be afraid when we take your food and water away. Don't worry be happy? The CULTURE OF DEATH USING CLOWNS TO DOWNPLAY WHAT THEY ARE REALLY DOING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS?
Excerpt from Miami Herald: ''The clown phobia thing is huge, I had no idea. There are people who just plum hate the images of clowns,'' said Virginia Hoffman, a sculptor and chair of Sarasota's Public Art Committee. ``I'm concerned about fallout. What if there are protests by clowns haters, or people who want to vandalize clown statues?''
FV says: Poor clown statues. But where was the outrage when a human being was being vandalized by the Starvation State of Florida???
FYI: Gas yesterday in Tampa Bay was $2.29. I filled up the tank.
Clowns give me the willies anyway. Oh yes, Willie Jeff Clinton was a clown of sorts, too, still is.
Even when I was little clowns bothered me because I thought bad people were hiding behind that mask.
8mm
If that Nursing Home pulled his tube that is murder. If he accidentally pulled his own tube and none of the nurses came to aid him that is murder!
People best learn to do comparison shopping of hospices or they could end up checking out before their time. Visit www.hospicepatients.org
This is the NOVEMBER TERRI DAILIES THREAD, a digest of daily news re: euthanasia, directives, judges, politicians, new cases, initiatives, the spiritual element. God bless Terri Schiavo and the Schindlers.
(Terri HAD NO LIVING WILL but the state of Fla sponsored her murder anyway. It can work for you or against you to have a living will.)
Others: 1. Baby Charlotte is alive. 2. Senior Mae died of natural causes but was not exited out. 3. Scott Thomas is still alive 4. Jimmy Chambers (he is with God). 4. Sara Scandlin woke up after twenty years. She's glad to be alive. 5. A fireman whose name escapes me woke up after a long coma. 6. 200 Katrina related deaths in Louisiana area being investigated. Louisiana's Attorney General is doing his job (not like Florida's AG Crist who gave Judge Greer and Judge Whittemore PRAISE for killing Terri).
It's easy to make someone look like they are failing if you pump enough drugs into their system which takes away the appetite and they become weak. This could happen to anybody. It's the death care system and we better beware.
FYI: Justice for Terri November Dailies.
that is why I'm so greatful for the Hospice care my grandfather had. It was a non full time visiting hospice where the family took most of the care and they came and went checking in, giving meds, making my grandfather comfortable. With my mom and my Aunt my grandfather was taken care of, but those Hospice workers really were kind and helpful. I can't imagine a Hopsice where they deny people food and water who are still conscious!!
The toll free number for congress to federalize a ban on starving & dehydrating when there's absolutely no directive, or maybe even if there's a directive but the person changed their mind. Congress & the President's numbers at www.conservative-spirit.org.
It's open season and we cannot even trust legislators or the judiciary, not on this issue!
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