Another angle we need to check out and get out to public - I believe Hospice's are not, legally, supposed to accept a patient who is not terminal and expected to die within 6 months???
Terri's plight may well expose a giant "kill at will" system in place across the country. It gives me the chills but does not, shudder, surprise me.
"Nor is she terminally ill, which is generally a requirement for admission to a hospice"
My investigative reporter antennae are twitching - I suspicion this may well be going on across the country
The maneuver is to admit with the stipulation that food and water is to be withheld. The patient will die within 6 mos.
"Todd had the IV fluids started that evening, but informed the family that they would have to come to the hospice to sign papers to have the feeding tube inserted. Once that was done, Magouirk would not be able to stay at the hospice."
So why was Terri, who also was not terminal and was on feeding and water tube - still imprisoned in the Hospice? Was this also illegal?
Just a sec. that is a good point and another poster addressed that, on another thread, let me go check.
To: Bahbah
Second, the hospital would know whether a patient was terminal and that the purpose of a transfer to hospice is meant for terminal patients which would raise all kinds of red flags. Then, admission to a hospice requires very specific documentation, and I don't see that referenced. Just a few things that got my attention.
Aside from wondering if the entire story is a hoax, I did notice that the hospital and hospice are in the same family. And, if the hospital and hospice were told that granny was going to be taken off feeding, then according to the law, she was terminal. That's how it worked for Terri too. Scheduled natural death by starvation is adequate grounds for hospice admission. The mistake, as you pointed out, would have been to take a general POA as a medical one.
I can't figure out the reference to Florida either. Isn't this story set in Georgia?
52 posted on 04/07/2005 9:06:44 PM EDT by Cboldt