Plan for long life, without pandemic (Should we let people older than 85 die in a pandemic?)

The Charlotte Observer ^ | Tue, May. 06, 2008 | NANCY STANCILL

[Sam's Army]

Why not just euthanize people once they hit 85? It’s gotta be good for the environment to boot...

[Petronski]

Why not just euthanize people once they hit 85?

The government wants to keep them around so they can be used as food for the ZOMBIES.

[thefrankbaum]

I haven’t seen the original report, but it seems to be these were their recommendations in a “worst case scenario” where there was not enough vaccine and only a limited ability to treat people who contract the disease. It’s tough, but if a doctor has to choose between using the last of her resources to save a 15 year old and a 90 year old, who should she save?

[ccmay]

Yes. Let them die. In a real pandemic, life becomes the Titanic write large. There is no sense in allowing a child or young mother to die so that grandma can have a few more pinochle games in the nursing home.

-ccm

[RightWhale]

This is nothing other than professional ethics flavored with prevention of disease lawsuits.

[dangerdoc]

Triage, a French word, go figure.

When you do not have the resources to treat everyone, you pick out the ones that will survive with no treatment and those who will likely not survive with treatment.

If you are still short on resources, then the choices get much tougher.

[RightWhale]

The families of the first victims will do best in court. The next 20 million cases will be dismissed.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Because government views citizens as resources, it only makes sense that those advocating for government-run health care would start to contemplate the usefulness of an old person.

[the lastbestlady]

They already do this when considering someone for a transplant.

[dawn53]

They’re not talking euthanasia. They’re talking survival, and in a situation (a pandemic) when health services, supplies, etc. would be limited, and without those health services a person would die, who do you offer the health services to, the 85 year old who’s lived his life, or the 15 year old who has the potential to grow up be a mother/father, wage earner, tax payer, etc. It sounds harsh, but it’s not euthanasia, it’s just using the services available in the most0 “efficient” way.

And, for me personally, I can’t imagine any 85 year old who would choose to receive treatment, if it meant denying a 15 year old the treatment. The 85 year old has lived his life, give the 15 year old a chance.

Hopefully, we never see that short a supply of services or medicines...but if we do, and I’m getting up there in age (which I am, LOL) I can’t see sentencing a younger person (a teenager, a child, a mother or father who has kids to raise) to death just so I can live a few more years.

[stuartcr]

I bet no one in that task force is anywhere near 85yrs old.

[dfwgator]

Why not just euthanize people once they hit 85? It’s gotta be good for the environment to boot...

Why wait so long?

[paul51]

How about a task force that can come up with some strategies to prevent a shortage of resources that we may need

[thefrankbaum]

I don’t know about that - it takes years for a civil case to move through the court system. By the time it gets to trial, the whole jury pool will know what the doctors had been faced with.

[pgkdan]

This report deals with a nationally coordinated effort in response to a genuine pandemic. In the face of such a catastrophe I'd tend to agree with their assessments as to who should receive treatment. I have cancer, kidney disease and diabetes, among other things and in the face of a nationwide pandemic I wouldn't expect to receive much more than paliative care.

The problem with this type of thing is that once we accept this for a pandemic every couple of years the catastrophe bar is lowered until we're talking about involuntary euthanasia and other horrors. I don't blame folks who are skeptical.

[thefrankbaum]

Absolutely. That is far and away the best idea - unfortunately, the flu virus mutates, and they are constantly doing everything they can to keep up with it.

[perez24]

You know a different set of 85 year olds than I do. Most of the ones I know would shove the babies out of the line to get their shots.

[pyx]

Plan for long life, without pandemic (Should we let people older than 85 die in a pandemic?)

AKA: Float ideas for socialized medicine.

[Gorzaloon]

A Monday news story saying a U.S. task force recommends denying lifesaving care in a pandemic or other disaster to some folks -- including healthy people above 85 -- was unsettling.

Who is on this task force, what are their names, and where do they live?

For some reason I doubt we will find out.

86 year olds can pull a trigger.