Posted on 04/02/2005 6:21:27 AM PST by rhema
I have no idea what you're talking about. Got a point? Make it.
The made-for-TV movie, In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan came out in 1977. It may have been shown after that as a rerun.
"If Terri saw the movie for the first time based on the fight to pull the respirator around the time she had this discussion it would explain the tense in which she was discussing it."
I understand what you're trying to say. But it makes no sense if you think about it.
If you were watching a movie about the life of JFK, you wouldn't comment to someone, "I'd really be upset if Kennedy got assassinated".
Dr. McConnell is further quoted as saying that the tube is often used for the convenience of nursing home staff. "The problem in homes is that it is costs more to pay a person to feed a patient that it does to just jam in a tube and walk away." This statement arises because of the amount of time that the nursing home staff member would have to spend trying to plead and cajole such a resident into taking even a slight amount of nutrition. When you have several such residents in one wing of the home the staff members could be tied up for many hours per day trying to feed the residents.
__________
I would like to address the above comment that you posted...I have worked in nursing homes for years and years....and have seen only two geriatric persons with a feeding tube...we had several younger residents, with feeding tubes, but none of the old people...and almost all of the residents were geriatic residents, the younger residents being in the minority...
As to feeding the residents...we did spend lots of time, escorting the residents to the dining room, and feeding them...many of them were unable to feed themselves, and everyone, the nurses and the aides, and the entire staff helped to feed the residents, who could not feed themselves...myself, I found it to be a more relaxing duty to perform....a crucial part of working in a nursing home, is helping the residents with their activities related to daily living...and of course, eating and drinking falls into that category...
I know of all the nursing homes in my area(Olympia, Washington) , and I have yet to see one, where the geriatric residents are given feeding tubes as a general rule, so as to be more convenient for the staff...in fact, that seems to be more inconvenient for the staff...in then nursing homes where I worked, only the nurses can feed residents via feeding tubes...aides cannot do this...if most of the geriatric residents were tube fed, the nurse would be spending all day attending to feeding tubes, rather than passing meds, attending to IVs, performing medical procedures...
I cannot answer for other nursing care facilities...just do know that in my, area, no nursing home has most of its residents on tube feeding...
I would be greatly interested in seeing and hearing about actual nursing homes, which do prefer most of their residents to be tube fed, and the justification for this...
Most of the seniors I have taken care of, do enjoy eating, ,and appreciate the care we take to feed them...
I must say, I have been learning a few things from this thread...thanks...
I'll keep praying for you.
First, murder is the "unlawful killing of another human being" -- Judge Greer's court order to remove the feeding tube was quite lawful. Second, his order was backed by 30+ judges.
That's real lawful. So, it's not murder. You're wrong.
"Often" doesn't mean majority of even those cases, certainly doesn't mean "the general rule," and could easily be a minority, e.g., those patients where it is substantially more time consuming to feed by mouth (I'm thinking a feeding that takes an hour or more, as opposed to the normal half hour or less that most people take to be fed), for whatever reason. FATAL automobile accidents happen "often" too (tens of thousands per year), but I rarely see one.
A number of posters have asserted that causing death by starvation/dehydration (affirmative decision to stop feeding and hydration) happens often. It's worth noting that automobile accidents involving serious injury happen often too, at about the same rate of hundreds per day.
As a side note, it was Nathan Zachary, not robertpaulson, who asserted feeding tubes were NEVER (his emphasis, not mine) inserted for convenience.
One word?:
Murder
Someone's not paying attention.
On March 31, 2005, her body was (finally) allowed to die a natural death. That's what "happened" to Terri on that date.
What "happened" to Terri between Greer's February 11, 2000 court order and that date can best be described as a circus. Private heart wrenching and pathetic audio and video released to the public. Her intimate bodily functions discussed, debated, and analyzed. Lies, distortion, innuendos, gossip, conspiracy, and allegations saturated the airwaves and the written press.
That also "happened" to Terri.
Oh no, no, no. You can't just walk away with a flippant, "We agree to disagree".
What's not natural about Terri' death? A sugically implanted feeding tube that some third party has to fill with specially prepared nutrients three times a day is natural?
Let's hear it, MOgirl.
?
BWAHAHAHAHA! Hey, I can do what I damn well please.
What a hypocrite.
"why wouldn't the court allow her to try to swallow?"
The Febraury 11, 2000 court order by Judge Greer said nothing about it. Yes, the (what was it, third?) court order in March, 2005 forbade it as "experimental treatment".
"We will never know if Terri could swallow water or food, as she was never allowed to try."
What???
"Doctors performed "swallowing tests" on Terri in 1991, 1992 and 1993 and concluded that she "was not able to swallow without the risk of aspiration," which occurs when fluid or food is inhaled into the lungs."
I take it back. Let's just leave it at, "We agree to disagree". You have nothing to offer as rebuttal.
That's what I meant about not paying attention.
What can I say, I was on vacation :-)
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