http://www.thecheckoutline.org/blog/your-government-and-your-end-of-life/ Advice for Dying and Death - When Sympathy Isnt Enough Tue, 22 May 2012 07:57:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 http://www.thecheckoutline.org/blog/your-government-and-your-end-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-14008 Carl Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:14:23 +0000 http://www.thecheckoutline.org/?p=878#comment-14008 Dismissing those who disagree with you as "rightwing kooks" is hardly productive. Thewre are legitimate concerns when the government (who can't seem to manage anything effectively), controls the purse strings on yet anothewr aspect of our personal lives that should be left at that. Dismissing those who disagree with you as “rightwing kooks” is hardly productive. Thewre are legitimate concerns when the government (who can’t seem to manage anything effectively), controls the purse strings on yet anothewr aspect of our personal lives that should be left at that.

]]> http://www.thecheckoutline.org/blog/your-government-and-your-end-of-life/comment-page-1/#comment-13920 Jeanne Frye, RN, CHPN Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:28:24 +0000 http://www.thecheckoutline.org/?p=878#comment-13920 Wow, Judy what a timely subject. You are so right and I agree that the point of the provision is not to "convince" any patient or family to abandon care or hope. Is is about being able to pay the physicians for the time it takes to actually sit down and have an intelligent, non judgemental and meaningful discussion about the patients current condition, quality of life and future goals. As a hospice/palliative nurse, I have had these discussions with families and patients after they have received a "terminal dx". It can take HOURS, and I generally book myself for 1.5 to 2.0 hours to have one of these discussions. It is not something that a physician can discuss with a patient in 10-15 minute increments. Conditions change and patients and families need to revisit this issue from time to time. The decision is ALWAYS with the patient, the family and the physician.....not with the payor source be it insurance or a government office. I take the bill to mean that we will be requested to revisit this issue as the patient moves through this journey. It seems the right thing to do, but never based soley on cost of care, more so on the quality of life, chosen goals and possible futility of medical treatment. Sorry I went on so long..... Wow, Judy what a timely subject. You are so right and I agree that the point of the provision is not to “convince” any patient or family to abandon care or hope. Is is about being able to pay the physicians for the time it takes to actually sit down and have an intelligent, non judgemental and meaningful discussion about the patients current condition, quality of life and future goals. As a hospice/palliative nurse, I have had these discussions with families and patients after they have received a “terminal dx”. It can take HOURS, and I generally book myself for 1.5 to 2.0 hours to have one of these discussions. It is not something that a physician can discuss with a patient in 10-15 minute increments. Conditions change and patients and families need to revisit this issue from time to time. The decision is ALWAYS with the patient, the family and the physician…..not with the payor source be it insurance or a government office. I take the bill to mean that we will be requested to revisit this issue as the patient moves through this journey. It seems the right thing to do, but never based soley on cost of care, more so on the quality of life, chosen goals and possible futility of medical treatment. Sorry I went on so long…..

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