Quoted Text

CAPITOL
New law on end-of-life decisions
Rules on med proxies open authority to more family, doctors, friends
BY VALERIE BAUMAN The Associated Press

    Families, guardians and partners now have the power to make medical decisions for incapacitated patients — even if the patient never signed paperwork detailing their wishes.
    “For too long, family members have had not only to endure the suffering of their loved ones, but also the archaic nature of our law,” said New York Gov. David Paterson before signing the bill into law Tuesday. “This is humane, this is ethical, this is the right legislation.”
    The bill helps New York catch up with most other states on this issue. The District of Columbia and at least 35 states already created statutes, according to 2008 data from the American Bar Association. Most other states have case law precedent that grants family members and others the authority to make medical decisions.
    Lawmakers say only 20 percent of patients have signed proxies, complicating decisions on care, especially for the terminally ill. That can mean extended suffering for some patients.
    “In the 17 years that it has taken us to get here, over a million New Yorkers have died in a New York state hospital without the capacity to make their own health care decisions,” said Democratic Assemblyman Richard Gottfried.
    The measure requires decisions to be based on the patients’ best interests, including their moral or religious beliefs.
    Decisions to stop life-sustaining treatment will be authorized only when two doctors independently conclude that a patient isn’t expected to live for six more months, regardless of whether treatment is provided. It could also be authorized when a patient is permanently unconscious or has an irreversible condition and providing treatment would cause suffering that would reasonably be deemed inhumane. ...............>>>>...............>>>>............http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00103&AppName=1

WTH?

Welcome to the beginning of national healthcare/HIPPA and the rest of the mess.....although in MANY cases family members do not have the fortitude to make decisions.....the fact is that everyone
wants a doctor/nurse to tickle their ears of the positive,,,,are medical treatments positive?-yes......are they fool-proof and perfect science?-----ABSOLUTELY NOT.....truth is hard to tell/take....

we have gotten better educated and more research but, we have a long way to go baby.......

the fact is that our bodies do what they do and we choose what we choose......knowing when to hold 'em and knowing when to fold 'em.........there is no way to turn back time no matter how much
botox/vitamins or surgeries we have......

our bodies are awesome machines but fickle and mysterious,,,,,,,,,