First, a patient's chart is a legal and medical document, and it is sacred. If the procedures and notes in that chart are altered then the institution, physicans, and nurses are a party to felony fraud, and malpractice. In short, they are all ruined....PERIOD. So, if this happened somebody is in deep S#iT.
Secondly, if the husband was able to shake this kind of fist over the medical professionals in this outfit, then something is terribly wrong. You don't call the treatment, and care of a patient if you are not a medical professional. It's illegal, and it's immoral. The laws of the Florida Medical Board would not permit this. If it didn't know, then the liability is on the institution, and a criminal charges could be slamed on the institution, the Doctors/Nurses and the administration of the institution, as well as the husband himself.
Most importantly, if this woman is truly alive and not wishing to die then she must live. I took an oath not to help death, but to work for life.....First, I will do no harm! Being a party to a woman's death that was alive, I would be doing harm....I would be commiting murder. That is not only out of the oath of ethics, it is criminal.
In a situation where a patient is comatose, and brain dead (many tests to prove this, and many decisions made) I will advise that life supports be terminated, but it must be clear to me that the patient is 'brain dead'. Then and only then can I justify stopping live support. Believe me, I've had to do it before, I've had to do it to my own mother.
From what I have read on this case the patient shows all signs of brain activity and, while in a 'bed ridden' state, and even a diminished capacity state, is far from a comatose, vegitated, and brain dead state. The state should appoint an intrum guardian and start an investigation in this patient's case. This husband sounds a little anxious to have his wife die. If that happened to a patient of mine, I would have the husband banned from visitation and inform the police. Too many questions unanswered here, too much emotion, not enough medical science, not enough thinking. Time to calm down and investigate....logically!
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I don't think anyone ever expected the charts to be examined or even a point of interest. The assumption at the time was that those involved could do as they wished, Terri would be killed and buried, and nobody would ever hear or care about it. However, the situation became known, largely through the internet, and a national issue. The best assumption a nurse or doctor can make in certain circumstances is that they will not be reviewed or caught. Even if there is a rewiew, the hypothetical existence of written evidence can be disposed of leaving it a matter of one person's word against someone else's or several someone elses.
I concur fully. - It's time for us to shift the direction of our effort, and try to blow the lid off of this septic tank. - We only have about a week to get this on national news and talk shows so that it can no longer be ignored.
It's time for a national Freep.
It's unfortunate but in old age homes and places catering to the disabled this is NOT so uncommon. The folks there don't always have people visiting them or caring about them for that matter. These facilies OFTEN attract undesirable people to work for them. I'm referring to people who enjoy abusing others when no one is around.