She Signed a Living Will. Her Sister Didn’t Honor It.

WSJ via MSN ^ | Nov 30, 2024 | Ashlea Ebeling

[where's_the_Outrage?]

fter getting diagnosed with a degenerative disease, high school principal Lynne Chesley signed a legal document stating she didn’t want her life to be extended by artificial means.

She ended up on a feeding tube anyway for more than three years while family members fought over her fate. Her wishes were honored after a ruling this year by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and Chesley died in August.

Such a drawn-out case shows the stakes for getting the details right on a living will, including who is designated to fulfill the person’s wishes and how the information is shared with family and healthcare providers. While end-of-life planning decisions rarely go to court, the Oklahoma ruling strengthens the legality of the documents, lawyers said.......

When Chesley was hospitalized for pneumonia in 2021, a feeding tube was put in place. Her relatives fought over the advance directive she completed in 2013, which called for not using life-sustaining treatment. Her children argued that the advance directive should be enforced and the feeding tube removed.

Chesley’s designated proxy for healthcare decisions was her sister Amy Meyer, according to court filings. When the moment came, she argued that Chesley didn’t want the tube removed.

The sister declined to comment, her lawyer said. In a deposition taken in a related case over spending money out of Chesley’s trust, she said, “I don’t believe in killing someone before they are ready to die.”

Meyer argued that her sister revoked her signed directive by making limited movements after being told that removing the tube would be painful. She couldn’t speak or walk at the time. Her doctor said he could administer medicine to ease any pain.

[PeterPrinciple]

My 99 year old mother was in the hospital for surgery, there were problems and the doctor called me 200 miles away. I said she had a “do not resuscitate.” My brother, who had stepped out for a meal, walked in at that movement and said, “you will resuscitate her.”

When it is in your face, the view is different.

Mom hung on for about a week after that and it all worked out for good.

[Mean Daddy]

My dad and my brothers took care of some of his aunts who never married, from grocery shopping to house care. A day after the last one passed away, there was a cousin who never visited loading their pickup with antiques. Thankfully we caught them, made them put stuff back and had the locks changed. They were told they could buy what they wanted at auction and the proceeds went into the estate for my grandfather (the aunts brother) to deal with.