I am appalled at our level of blame here. Currently in the US, we have the ability to choose or not choose the medical model. No one is forcing us to go to the doctor. Also, Hospice care is available to everyone and free to Medicare recipients. The Hospice protocol is to get rid of the meds and patients often see a rebound in health afterward. It does not stop the end from coming. Trust in families is an age old problem and I suppose, begins with us. We spend a life time developing our relationships, and if they are not based on trust, what can we expect in the end? Often, those left with all of the work and responsibility of caring for the aged and dying in their families are blamed for a reduction of assets. Not sure what they expect it to cost. Because we never really know when the end is near, how do we make the call about selling a home etc,.? More often than not, the bickering about assets of the deceased is sour grapes.
In the end, I think that if we have led a life of dignity, our death with dignity will follow. This is not always the case for reasons unexplained. Can we have faith our death is what we need it to be, no matter how it appears outwardly? I think the issue of paid suicide is much more complicated than the abortion issue, where the mother is the decision maker and has rights in that she is pregnant and will deliver. Alzheimer's patients would not have the cognitive ability to make the decision to suicide. Should someone have the right to make that for them? How about people with cognative disabilities? Should we only keep them around if someone can afford to pay for their care? On Jul 16, 8:48 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Highly possible that Kevorkian presented a threat to the medical and > more so the giant pharmaceutical industry. They would probably topple > if terminally ill and elderly people decided to check out and skip the > med bandwagon. It goes to show "again" how much power corporate > lobbyists have on government, it's like a choke collar on a pit bull > and as usually the people are the puppets and pawns in the money > making game. The one drug that people can grow in their yards of > course is illegal, they can't allow self medication that doesn't bring > in revenue. > > On Jul 16, 5:47 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > There comes a point of no return but do not think my mother ever > > considered suicide to end her suffering. Strong willed, was she.//Your > > post was interesting- perhaps Kevorkian was a threat to the medical > > profession and the lucrative nursing home industry- plus the attendant > > bureaucracies of the courts and social services. There is a case in my > > local news where the daughter embezzled her mother's fortune via power > > of attorney which is shameful- so family isn't always the answer, > > either- neither are shady court appointed guardians.//This whole > > business is going to get interesting as Social Security peters out and > > the government must decide/ration health care costs- they could kill > > one old bird with two stones.// What these new approaches may hasten > > is a vigorous objection from active, healthy seniors who refuse to > > submit to ageism and elder abuse and treasure their final years on > > their own terms because they can and have earned the right to them. > > Our society is youth oriented so it won't be easy. I find myself > > looking at the images of middle aged to senior men and women and find > > they are often stereotyped which is ridiculous and insulting. On the > > other hand, you have Gloria Vanderbilt's new book "Obsession" which is > > her Marquis de Sade experiment in elder-lust- she is 85! lol Poor > > little Gloria- smutty at last! > > > On Jul 16, 1:07 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > We put our pets down when they are no longer able to walk and function > > > in their old age but we insanely subject ourselves to the aches of > > > aging, the bed sores and agonizing pain that haunt our every conscious > > > minute. I never did understand the Kevorkian problem, it's not like > > > the people did not want to check out. I would think that early > > > religious ideals embedded within the fabric of the country still have > > > a grip on the acceptability of suicide, notions of good and bad forced > > > upon the people regardless of their personal beliefs. As you pointed > > > out, the idea that abortion is a acceptable practice is dumbfounding, > > > where does the choice of life or death lie in that? It is all about > > > political ownership of life. We develop lousy governments to boss us > > > around. > > > > On Jul 15, 2:29 pm, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > >http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/15/world/europe/15britain.html > > > > > With a swoon of Prokofiev! Read the reader comments as well as > > > > Americans may be waking up to the fraud that is end of life care and a > > > > national disgrace.- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
