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Veterans deserve better than Obama's VA 'Death Book'

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
In the article, ‘Death Book for Veterans’, written by Jim Towey for the Wall Street Journal on August 18, Mr. Towey briefly explains the ‘Your Life, Your Choices’ document that is given to veterans regarding their ‘end of life care.’ From the article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204683204574358590107981718.html

“Last year, bureaucrats at the VA's National Center for Ethics in Health Care advocated a 52-page end-of-life planning document, "Your Life, Your Choices." It was first published in 1997 and later promoted as the VA's preferred living will throughout its vast network of hospitals and nursing homes. After the Bush White House took a look at how this document was treating complex health and moral issues, the VA suspended its use. Unfortunately, under President Obama, the VA has now resuscitated "Your Life, Your Choices."

This ‘end-of-life’ planning document is now being distributed to all Veterans receiving care:

“…a July 2009 VA directive instructs its primary care physicians to raise advance care planning with all VA patients and to refer them to "Your Life, Your Choices." Not just those of advanced age and debilitated condition—all patients. America's 24 million veterans deserve better.”

I downloaded a copy of the ‘Your Life, Your Choices’ document and for the most part it seems like a typical document discussing Healthcare proxies etc. The things that are discussed with elderly parents or even husbands and wives in planning their futures; however, there is a check list in the middle of the document that specifically asks questions about "What makes your life worth living?”. It is a checklist that doesn’t just include needing a feeding tube or being on permanent life support, the questions are absolutely, in my opinion, insane. These questions are being asked to all Veterans receiving treatment, including 20 year olds who have been severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. I have listed all of the questions below so you can see for yourself:

a. I can no longer walk but get around in a wheelchair.
b. I can no longer get outside—I spend all day at home.
c. I can no longer contribute to my family's well being.
d. I am in severe pain most of the time.
e. I have severe discomfort most of the time (such as nausea, diarrhea, or shortness of breath).
f. I rely on a feeding tube to keep me alive.
g. I rely on a kidney dialysis machine to keep me alive.
h. I rely on a breathing machine to keep me alive.
i. I need someone to help take care of me all of time.
j. I can no longer control my bladder.
k. I can no longer control my bowels.
l. I live in a nursing home.
m. I can no longer think clearly-I am confused all the time.
n. I can no longer recognize family/friends
o. I can no longer talk and be understood by others.
p. My situation causes severe emotional burden for my family (such as feeling worried or stressed all the time).
q. I am a severe financial burden on my family.
r. I cannot seem to “shake the blues.”

These questions are followed by the questions below:

“If you checked "worth living, but just barely" for more than one factor, would a combination of these factors make your life "not worth living?" If so, which factors?

If you checked "not worth living," does this mean that you would rather die than be kept alive?

If you checked "can't answer now," what information or people do you need to help you decide?”


What the hell kind of questions are these to be asking Veterans who have just risked their lives to keep America safe from terrorists? What kind of person would ask a 20 year old quadriplegic if they would rather die than be in a wheelchair or a burden to his/her family or if they have the blues? Of course they would have the blues in this case and of course no one wants to be in a wheelchair and of course no one wants to be a burden on their family but to suggest to a Veteran that these answers possibly mean they would ‘rather die than be kept alive’ is atrocious, outrageous, disgusting, immoral, unethical and one of the most un-American things I have ever read in my entire life.

To even suggest the above questions to ANY Veteran is outrageous or to any person for that matter. I understand the ‘Do not resuscitate’ questions and the ‘brain dead’ type questions but as you can see above the majority of the questions are not pointing to those scenarios. People live completely full lives in wheelchairs and nursing homes. Some people choose to never go outside. Many people are alive today because of kidney dialysis and they too live full lives. And my God, question ‘p’ incites me the most. I watched my own Mother die of cancer, I was emotionally stressed and worried but it was by no means a burden. To suggest that the care of someone you love is a burden is atrocious.

Our Veterans deserve better than Obama’s directive to hand out this questionnaire. Our men and women of the armed forces sign up to protect and serve America knowing the potential risks that are involved. They do not hesitate to risk their lives for our freedoms. Their care should never be considered a burden by any member of our society. For anyone to ever suggest to someone who just risked his or her life that they may want to die rather than be in a wheelchair or nursing home is abominable. Our Veterans deserve better than this and this directive should be stopped immediately. If Obama is willing to treat our Veterans this way, how do you think he will treat the rest of America?

http://www.examiner.com/x-9100-Boston-Conservative-Independent-Examiner~y2009m8d21-Our-Veterans-deserve-better-than-Obamas-VA-Death-Book-directive

‘Your Life, Your Choices’ document

http://www1.va.gov/pugetsound/docs/ylyc.pdf
 
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