VA End of Life BookPosted Tuesday, August 25, 2009, at 8:39 PM
To Live or not?
Beau wrote: "Last year, bureaucrats at the VA's National Center for Ethics in Health Care advocated a 52-page end-of-life planning document, "Your Life, Your Choices." It was first published in 1997 and later promoted as the VA's preferred living will throughout its vast network of hospitals and nursing homes. After the Bush White House took a look at how this document was treating complex health and moral issues, the VA suspended its use. Unfortunately, under President Obama, the VA has now resuscitated "Your Life, Your Choices." Who is the primary author of this workbook? Dr. Robert Pearlman, chief of ethics evaluation for the center, a man who in 1996 advocated for physician-assisted suicide in Vacco v. Quill before the U.S. Supreme Court and is known for his support of health-care rationing. "Your Life, Your Choices" presents end-of-life choices in a way aimed at steering users toward predetermined conclusions, much like a political "push poll." For example, a worksheet on page 21 lists various scenarios and asks users to then decide whether their own life would be "not worth living." The circumstances listed include ones common among the elderly and disabled: living in a nursing home, being in a wheelchair and not being able to "shake the blues." There is a section which provocatively asks, "Have you ever heard anyone say, 'If I'm a vegetable, pull the plug'?" There also are guilt-inducing scenarios such as "I can no longer contribute to my family's well being," "I am a severe financial burden on my family" and that the vet's situation "causes severe emotional burden for my family." When the government can steer vulnerable individuals to conclude for themselves that life is not worth living, who needs a death panel? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424... OR do what I did and type in the title in search and look at the PDF. I did read most of it! It looks so harmless and looks helpful. Hah! Just another way to be merciful? They have the audacity to tell poor veterans that they are no longer viable to society and shouldn't be draining the resources of the VA.??? How many of us would want our parent or grandparent to be manipulated into deciding to refuse treatment because they don't pass the test of being valuable to society? Another brick in the wall! Comments Showing most recent comments first [Show in chronological order instead] |
I've lived in Mtn Home for over 20 years. I love my city and my country. Since I am a writer, my decision to blog here seemed appropriate. I enjoy acting so I've been blessed with the opportunity to work on some independent films and with Prairie Dog Productions and Bogus Creek Ranch. I hope that something I have to write about has some value for others or just amuses someone.
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Yeah, take a nap. The Feds will wake you up early one morning.
Yawn.
I will die in the streets before I'll ever just roll over and say......."Go ahead and take it all."
And the barrel will still be hot when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
I will not live on my knees. You guys do what you want.
Yeah, maybe. But I will remain an AMERICAN.
As of 8:11 CDT, you're alone on your ledge.
If she's cut back at all, it's because everybody's watching her now. Same as with Obama's revised "school speech", and the grinding halt by so many of the politicians since it's OBVIOUS now that these "tea parties" aren't going away.
Had the watchdogs been asleep, there would have INDEED been eight more luxury jets.
The stark TRAVESTY of all this, is that our politicians shouldn't have to be THREATENED with their jobs.......before they start DOING their jobs we send them back there to do!
Senators and Congressmen are elected to REPRESENT and DO the will of the PEOPLE, NOT the "special interests" or to line their own pockets.
And if they CAN'T or aren't WILLING to do that, then WE THE PEOPLE need to go to the polls, REGARDLESS OF PARTY AFFILIATION..........and remind these crooks about WHO WORKS FOR WHO!
We shouldn't have "tea parties", angry townhall meetings and demonstrations by DECENT PEOPLE (you EXPECT it from the nuts).
Our "government" is supposed to govern on OUR behalf.....not theirs.
And what's with all these "Czars?"
It is time to boot these criminals OUT! Am I the only one out here anymore who SEES this?
Am I?
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=...
Kim, since he seems to enjoy checking on other people's time and dollar waste, ask him how he feels about Princess Pelosi's airliner that she hauls her friends and family around in, at our expense.
Or Michelle's Paris shopping, and fish & chips for the kids in London.
Matbe he thinks our paying for the Obama's" date nights" are ok, too.
And NOW, Obama is targeting our KIDS in school to spresad his propaganda around!
I'm sure he'll have some kind of website to "justify" it, though!
Mr Dave thompson, if you couldn't care less, why did you bring it up? I read and I listen and respect people's comments. I have always strived to be fair and open to listening to other people's views. There was no need for what you said. Go ahead and attack my views. Call me whatever name you want that pertains to the subject at hand, but stay away from insinuating unethical misdeeds on my part or writing false accusations which are just enough to cause me and my family hardship due to loss of income. And since you decided to quote scripture, I believe that you need to look at the one that states, You should not bear false witness against your neighbor. Don't try to become defensive and state that you didn't do that. Gossiping is like telling little white lies that you know will become big lies within a day of re-telling.
We will only all benefit when these communist liberals are voted out.
Come on now Kim, I'm sure I told you back on Czar #1 & #2 that I could not care less what you do during your personal time or your work time.
I think we will all benefit from fact checking one another.
Mr Dave Thompson, Thank you so much for your kind posted comment to my blog Czar #1 & #2. It is so heartwarming to know that there are people like you out there who will show such kindness and concern for my well-being. I will continue to write and post all of my facts and research and comments and thoughts and cheerful words of wisdom as long as there are grateful people like you out there to read it. Thanks so much for reaffirming how wonderful it is to be a blogger! Oh and since you are such a factcheck-lover, as I am too, I will be sure and have a full report of my personal time and work time ready just in case it's needed in the future. And it's because of you that I am staying on the ball and following the straight and narrow. God Bless!
www.factcheck.org
Someone's death is probably the most personal thing they'll ever have, and it doesn't belong to their family, friends or anyone else.........especially this government, that couldn't run a lemonade stand, let aslone anything else.
And don't forget to check the refrigerator!
And speaking for myself, I never thought once about whether the government told me to save your life at an accident. I would do everything within my meager power to save a life if at all possible. If they had a DNR in the desk at home never entered my thoughts.
Good post Dave but quite irellevant if you are traveling down Hiway 84 and get into a crash. With the exceptions of a couple alert bracelets you can purchase there is little you can tell an EMT at 2am when you are unconscious. A DNR or a living will usually isn't the first thing I look for when I roll up on a crash. If you are taken to St. Als via Life Flight, they won't have your paperwork on file. If...IF they can contact the next of kin, it will be THEIR wishes that will be followed. Remember you have to have an original, signed copy of a DNR before a doctor will pull the plug, before an EMT will stop life saving measures.
You know the same government that wants you to explore "alternate" options for the end of your life, they still won't give you the one choice that truly makes sense.
Same info...appropriate blog...hope Intern can follow along.
Intern, Intern, Intern, you really need to fact check before you blog. Following from a doctor:
"The Veteran's Administration has a brochure entitled "Your Life, Your Choices" that was given to some veterans when admitted to the VA hospital system or in VA nursing homes. It was first published in 1997, and this 52 page book was promoted as the VA system's living will document.
In 2000 when the Bush administration reviewed this document, it was suspended, but has resurfaced once again. The suspension was warranted due to the nature of some of the end-of-life information it provided. It went well beyond living wills or medical durable power of attorney recommendations."
http://millermeeks.com/doctorsnotes/vete...
The orginal pamphlet was issued during CLINTON'S reign and was discontinued after the Bush administration found it's contents objectionable. So before you open your mouth and insert the other foot, do a little fact checking first.
Thank you and have a great day
I've spoken to a dear friend of mine who has worked in healthcare for quite some time. She explained to me that healthcare providers ask their patients whether they have advance directives in place so that those providers will follow the patients wishes in the event a patient becomes unable to communicate those wishes.
Our government has already determined, for every patient, that if no advance directive is in place, all measures will be taken to save the patient, regardless of the outcome of those efforts. So, by default, you'll be saved, whether or not you like, or are even aware of, the outcome.
Now, I'd rather confront reality and make some decisions with the help of this VA pamphlet, than put anyone through this: See http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/lit/sc...
http://www.amjmed.com/article/PIIS000293...
http://www1.va.gov/health/YourLifeYourCh...
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/...
Don't question all of these "czar" appointments. Obama's faithful little robots wouldn't like that.
They believe in the wisdom of their messiah, no matter WHAT it comes to.
I didn't read pages 1-8 completely. Didn't need to. I went to the meat of this and read. I skimmed pages 9-16 then read all about the diseases (pgs 17-19) then I read the rest completely. Now to be fair, I read this book on Sunday when I hadn't heard anything in the media about it. Thank you Shroeder and Beau for posting it. What the media decided to write or report about it happened after I had already read it and asked permission to re-post it from Beau. I waited for the "ok" from him first! Now I can see great value in helping someone decide what they want their end-of-life choices to be and to set it up to have a spokesperson in case you can't speak for yourself. My problem is with the underlying tone of this psychological thriller. Why do we have suicide hot lines? Because people deep within their pain and depression tend to make rash decisions. They need a voice of reason. This book given to a person in that frame of mind will only encourage them to not value their precious life. That is my concern. Also, how does this strengthen the cause of those like our Science Czar who want to control population and the medical cost of the elderly? (time 7:22am)
A voice from the past speaks out on Health Care Reform.
http://americanmissive.com/2009/08/14/ro...
Now for the great debate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6DmjBneG...
This is kinda funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR5MweSZj...
Well, I've sat in at a few townhalls, and you're the only one who seems to listen, and when you speak up, you do it in plain common easy-to-understand English, and one comes away from those meetings thinking that whatever SCHROEDER said wasn't just "lip service."
And you're right about both sides, Censored, you've got to watch them both, but while I've always been wary of "Big Brother", I particularly don't trust THIS bunch.
All this money behind closed doors, the takeovers, all of these "czars" who don't seem to have to answer to anybody, billions and trillions of new debt being ran up through thousand-page bills that nobody reads, pulling in the reins on interrogators while we turn terrorist loose again, the attacks on free speech, amnesty for illegals that is now turning into COUNTING them into our census.........and we don't even know who they are or where they're from. WE THINK they're all just Mexicans looking for work.
There IS a certain justification for a little "fear and paranoia." These boys are NOT trustworthy, by any stretch of the imagination.
With all do respect>
Just a reminder Mrs. Kovac(your words) "I did read most of it!" Which leads me to believe that you only read the pages that the other talking heads suggested you read. Which is what I have found on all of these blogs by the right and written in "almost" the exact same words as yours.
And the left is blogging about how the right is taking things out of context at every turn then calling you guys crazy. Then the right brings in the conspiracy theories and calls the left astroturf meat heads and everyone begins to circle each other, sizing up the competition for battle, like feral dogs.
Left and Right are crazy and the media doesn't help the matter, just perpetuates the symptoms of hysteria.
So your right about the psychology part, but it's the psychology of fear and paranoia being aimed at the right and left. Aimed to keep the people divided and contentous, effectively keeping the power of the people halved so nothing can ever be fixed.
-That pamphlet is meant for "terminally ill" patients so they can get their affairs in order for the inevitable.-
Heck, I've filled one out and I'm not even close to being terminal. Maybe terminally frustrated with both-sides of the argument and the reality t.v. mentality that Americans have adopted.
Jinkies!!
Actually Bazookaman, that was Beau pasting my post linking to the pamphlet a couple of days ago. Thank you for your confidence in me, but I respectfully disagree with your assertion that I am alone in knowing what I am doing. To be sure, there are some who do not, but there are quite a few very dedicated, honorable, and very knowlegeable public servants whom I admire greatly. I am sure we disagree on who they are, but it is those differences and a respectful dialog on those differences that help to make our governments work better. I am glad to hear that you are doing better with your illness.
I posted the link to the VA pamphlet so everyone could have a chance to read the whole document and draw their own conclusions as to its value.
Councilman Schroeder, it is indeed an honor to respond to you.
****(THIS is the ONLY member of ANY COUNCIL, ANYWHERE IN THIS COUNTY.....who knows what in the hell he's doing)***
The cancer treatments have gone fine so far, and for the last two years it has been in remission. Even with budgets cuts, I've been able to see a doctor in the V.A. when I've needed to without any problems, although that may change under Obama, who thinks all vets should pay for their own treatments.
I suppose that makes sense to the libs. After all, had I been a draft-dodger instead of a Marine, I'd never have had Agent Orange dropped over me in the first place, so it is obviously my OWN fault for raising my hand to DEFEND these pukes in the first place!
The next war Congress gets us involved in, THEY can go fight it.
I give the current remission status credit beyond the Retuxin treatments from the V.A., though. Never underestimate the power of prayer, and I've also been taking hydrazine sulphate (which the FDA does NOT endorse, and has proven to be an effective cancer killer).
Under Obamacare, I probably wouldn't get seen at all, ie:
"Well, the guy's over 60, cancer & diabetes (But that's HIS fault for being at Khe Sanh when they were dropping).............he's RETIRED now, and not productive to our movement..............he's also a known radical, doesn't like liberals, doesn't trust the regime in D.C. and he's pretty vocal about it, according to the "snitch program." He isn't someone we need to keep around, and we DO have a lot of YOUNG guys to do the dirty work now, if we need it done. We don't need this guy anymore.
Send the guy some Tylenol and some pamphlets. Let HIM work it out."
"NEXT!"
Yes, censored. I read the whole thing. And you are right about the fact that it is about making a living will. It is also suggestive and can be manipulative to a person not in the right frame of mind. Everyone goes through days when they feel worthless or a drain on their family or society. Many elderly people, especially men, will go through a stage just after retirement when they are depressed, unable to adjust and feeling profoundly worthless. Add into that an illness and you have the perfect combination to sway a person into making bad choices. Luckily, those with a good family and/or friends network can work through this to the other side of adjustment into a very valuable and worthwhile retirement. There are so many retired veterans who bring so much to the lives of the people around them as well as their community. Our children need the elderly in so many ways. But if they are given this type of booklet during that depressed stage, then many will never make it to the golden years of retirement. I read it! It is simple psychology, where many can be convinced that if they have a heart attack, it would be better to just ride it to the other side. It certainly has many scare-tactical wording that would be helpful in getting many records to say DNR! Just walk away and let them die! DNR!
Soooo Bazookaman,
How are your cancer treatments going? The cancer that the V.A. linked directly through blood tests to your exposure to Agent Orange at Khe Sanh, Vietnam in 1968. Has the V.A. given you the "Pamphlet" yet on "YOUR Life, YOUR Choices"?
If not............
Here is a link to the whole VA pamphlet "Your Life, Your Choices":
http://www1.va.gov/pugetsound/docs/ylyc....
-- Posted by Councilman Schroeder on Sun, Aug 23, 2009, at 2:00 PM
Wow! Congratulations, after 40+ years you have survived longer than most victims of Agent Orange exposure. But you should know that your continued existence is costing this present administration money. Money that they would like to use on perhaps illegal aliens or others entrenched in academia that have never lifted a finger in the defense of our great nation.
You should probably just save the government some money and enter the Carousel and enjoy the time of renewal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSnLU9nyF...
This is not about telling people they're worthless
and need to die. It's about making a living-will. Plan ahead just in-case.
Did you guys even read the whole thing or just take someone else's opinion on what the book is?
http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your...
And it is still posted on the original site you just have to look for it.
This is nothing new. They dangle those "golden carrots" in front of you so you'll keep risking your life for Uncle Sam so the yellow-bellies in this country don't have to.
Then, when you've given them your best years, retire and they don't NEED you anymore, you're swept aside like yesterday's trash, while they work on your KIDS............oh the bonuses, the perks, the opportunities. the retirement bennies, the free medical and dental coverage
Give us at least 20 years..........duck and dodge for us, do the remote assignments, put hardships on your family, be picketed against and put down by your adoring fans and neighbors out there, you dirty bunch of baby-killers..............but at the "end of this mighty rainbow ride, all THIS shall be yours!"
And what they're proposing NOW Kim, is just a matter of economics. Everytime a veteran dies, they don't have to pay him his meager monthly retirement check anymore. Once again, our beloved government is "counting" on us.
Vets have always been 3rd class citizens in this country. Ain't nothing new.
Yeah, go figure. This booklet is exactly what I have talked about for years. In order to get to a goal of death panels and end-of-life decisions, they had to start somewhere. Take euthanasia for example. I was against passing laws for people to be allowed to be assisted killing themselves. Yes, I know all the compassionate pleads and humane reasons about mercy for someone in pain with a terminal disease. And I understand that kind of situation where a person wants to be set free from it. However, the first step to the road to setting life limits was that very law. Baby steps, people. Appeal to the compassion of people for merci and kindness in order to eventually get to the true goal. What is that goal? Exactly what is being hinted at ever so slightly in this book about end of life decisions. The world was horrified at what Hitler was doing. He got his people to agree, in the interest of cutting expenses, to limit (ration) healthcare to certain people based on their value to society. Once he convinced the people that it was human to end the lives of those who were deformed, disabled, or too old, it was a easier step to convincing them of others who should die. Other countries have already taken the next baby step from assisted suicide to with-holding medicine and treatment to the elderly. It starts with a baby step that appeals to compassionate people and progresses from there.
http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your...
This link should work.