Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
A situation that required basic treatment and care escalated to a death by lethal injection.
Basically, the rules or protocols for MAiD were ignored, her father had agreed to die by euthanasia based on suffering caused by medical neglect and he was likely incompetent at the time of death.
Because of privacy, I cannot go into the issues, nonetheless her story was very upsetting. Her father went to the hospital because he had experienced a fall. While in the hospital he contracted an infection which led to conditions that caused him to experience humiliating side-effects.
The daughter explained that her father was living with depression and had physical issues that required him to receive pain medication, but at no time was he considering euthanasia until a nurse brought it up with him, even though he was not dying or terminally ill.
Because his daughter is weighing her options, all I can say is that this appears to be a case of medical neglect, where he received inadequate pain and symptom relief and he was not terminally ill. This was a completely preventable situation that got completely out-of-hand.
It is also very upsetting that once his euthanasia (MAiD) death was scheduled other medical treatment and care seemed to be considered unimportant since he was going to die by euthanasia anyway.
It is ridiculous that a situation that required basic treatment and care escalated to death by lethal injection.
Welcome to the world of MAiD.
This is unconscionable and horribly tragic! My life partner was killed using euthanizing measures that included neglect, abuse, humiliation by nurses and the physician who did not do a single assessment during hospitalization. Drugs put her to death PRIOR to the legalization of MAiD. As a retired, doctorally-prepared nurse, I am very concerned about the legalization of measures aimed at ending life. Hospitals are closed systems. The rare event where a health professional speaks out against another one for promoting euthanasia, engaging in stealth euthanasia, deliberate harm, etc. is rare. The police do not enter the hospital to help you. We are in dangerous waters when loved ones are deprived of care, judged "worthy" of dying, and treated such that they decline and suffer, and then offered euthanasia as a solution. We must have external evaluators to monitor CARE . . .to take ACTION when care is sub-standard. . .and to get to all patients to inform them that no decisions on MAiD should be made without external witnesses. Never should someone be guilted into choosing death based on poor care, cost, and the prejudices of age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation. . .NEVER should death by MAD be an offered choice in lieu of care.
ReplyDeleteThis is unconscionable and horribly tragic! My life partner was killed using euthanizing measures that included neglect, abuse, humiliation by nurses and the physician who did not do a single assessment during hospitalization. Drugs put her to death PRIOR to the legalization of MAiD. As a retired, doctorally-prepared nurse, I am very concerned about the legalization of measures aimed at ending life. Hospitals are closed systems. The rare event where a health professional speaks out against another one for promoting euthanasia, engaging in stealth euthanasia, deliberate harm, etc. is rare. The police do not enter the hospital to help you. We are in dangerous waters when loved ones are deprived of care, judged "worthy" of dying, and treated such that they decline and suffer, and then offered euthanasia as a solution. We must have external evaluators to monitor CARE . . .to take ACTION when care is sub-standard. . .and to get to all patients to inform them that no decisions on MAiD should be made without external witnesses. Never should someone be guilted into choosing death based on poor care, cost, and the prejudices of age, ability, race, gender, sexual orientation. . .NEVER should death by MAD be an offered choice in lieu of care.
ReplyDeleteSo someone screwed up and then covered up with MAiD.
ReplyDeleteThat is a terrible situation but I believe it. My husband was in hospital recently following a car accident. He has ongoing pain from a previous head injury which happened a long time ago. The staff seemed unable to understand the level of his pain and how to deal with it. Thank goodness my state (in Australia) hasn't legalised euthanasia (yet). I am quite sure he would have been put to death. You can hardly call it "mercy killing" when the poor man was left with no treatment prior to killing him.
ReplyDelete