[Sca-cooks] A small OT lecture from Auntie 'Lainie

[Terry Decker]

All good advice.

The problem really comes when the patient is incapacitated and can not make
their wishes known.  In such a case, the normal procedure is to defer to the
closest available relative, but there can be differences of opinion between
the family members which can hinder the treatment and even lead to court and
legislative involvement (as demonstrated by the recent life support case in
Florida).

A properly executed Advance Medical Directive in hand can give the
attorney-in-fact the clout they need to cut through the red tape.

Bear


>I will add that if your family is in ANY WAY "non-traditional", if there is
>anyone outside traditional definitions of family that you want to have
>access to you when you're ill, specify it. There is a case currently
pending
>in Maryland of a gay man who was barred from access to his partner of
>thirteen years by the University of Maryland hospital as "non-family",
>despite the family's agreement and despite the existence of a living will
>(which they did not have with them - so you should also keep a copy with
you
>if you travel). The hospital has been censured by JCAHO and AMA for ethics
>violations - did you know that the AMA says that a patient's "family" is
>WHOEVER SHE SAYS IT IS, and the hospital has to honor that?
>
>****************
>Avraham haRofeh