Fw: [Dysphagia] NYTimes.com Article: When Alzheimer' s Steals the Mind, How Aggressively to Treat the Body?

[bkcole at erols.com (Barbara Cole)]

RE: [Dysphagia] NYTimes.com Article: When Alzheimer' s Steals the Mind, How Aggressively to Treat the Body?
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Forbes, Margaret 
To: 'Barbara Cole' 
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 8:21 AM
Subject: RE: [Dysphagia] NYTimes.com Article: When Alzheimer' s Steals the Mind, How Aggressively to Treat the Body? 


Unfortunately, it is not so simple. People with advance directives are frequently resuscitated by overzealous EMTs or docs.

Margie Forbes 
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center 

-----Original Message----- 
From: Barbara Cole [mailto:bkcole@erols.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 6:19 PM 
To: marie.isbell@state.tn.us; dysphagia@b9.com 
Subject: Re: [Dysphagia] NYTimes.com Article: When Alzheimer' s 
Steals the Mind, How Aggressively to Treat the Body? 



And this is EXACTLY why people need to be prodded, forced to confront these 
issues while they are of sound mound and let their wishes be known.  How 
many times do you hear people say, "I wouldn't want to be kept alive in that 
situation", yet they do nothing to try and insure that they WON'T be kept 
alive at all costs.  The greatest gift one can give to one's children/family 
is to relieve them of the decision and put it in writing way before it is 
needed. 
    Years ago there was an uproar over comments made by,  I believe I recall 
this correctly, the governor of Colorado ? (maybe?). stating the elderly had 
a "duty to die" because keeping them alive alive at all costs would bankrupt 
the country. Does anyone else remember this? 
    Barbara 

_______________________________________________ 
Dysphagia mailing list 
Dysphagia@b9.com 
http://lists.b9.com/mailman/listinfo/dysphagia