[Osage Orange]

So, even if someone states that they want to live, medical professionals can disregard this, because they know better than their patient? This is insane.

Good, honest medical professionals can tell patients and their family that their prognosis is very terminal. And further treatment is unwarranted and just prolonging their imminent death. Comfort measures might be in order.

But it's still the patient or the patient's POA to decide.................

[trisham]

"Good, honest medical professionals can tell patients and their family that their prognosis is very terminal. And further treatment is unwarranted and just prolonging their imminent death. Comfort measures might be in order.

But it's still the patient or the patient's POA to decide................."

*****************************

I hear you. This is what I was referring to:

More: They want nursing home or hospital personnel to starve such patients to death even if they willingly eat and drink! From a commentary in the Journal of Clinical Ethics by Thaddeus Mason Pope, about the Margot Bentley case:

Mrs. Bentley may have the capacity to “communicate a choice.” But this is just one component of capacity.

She does not understand the relevant information, does not appreciate the situation and its consequences, and cannot reason about treatment or care options…If the test for capacity is really this low, then current “consent” will often trump even the clearest prior instructions.”

I should have supplied this quote to my original post.