I've seen the withholding of all food and water from elderly people who's children just didn't want anymore of their inheritance spent on health care since 1971 working at the Paterson General Hospital as a Respiratory Therapist. They've been doing this for at least that long. This child's case may be different but the withholding of food and water is very common - even in the last Christian Nursing Home I worked in until 2002.
In both places the situation I walked in on was the same - finding the unit's nurses and aides crying that one of the women that they all loved was not permitted to be fed nor given water [NPO] and in both cases the women were pleading with them for just a piece of ice or a sip to wet their mouth. This was not under "comfort measures", where they give as much morphine as possible to kill the pain of this starvation & dehydration process.
It happens everyday in this country and not because the elderly person couldn't live much longer - but in one case where I knew the family - the Dr talked them into it [b/c Medicare doesn't pay much] and the family believed the Dr..
Because of my Dad now - I got hooked up with this group and recommend it for everyone, so that you will have designated people to make the decisions that YOU want and not whomever else.
www.patientsrightscouncil.org started by an Attorney and for $15. you can have forms specifically for your State to protect your children and the rest of your loved ones. I have friends that have Durable POA for my Health Care thanks to this attorney and her Org.
