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> So the hospital withheld IV hydration and provided a morphine drip and he was gone in 36 hours. I watched loved ones die this way. It's cruel, absurd and gro
by standardUser 2y ago
> So the hospital withheld IV hydration and provided a morphine drip and he was gone in 36 hours.
I watched loved ones die this way. It's cruel, absurd and grotesque. A doctor will look you dead in the eye and say "your loved one will be dead within a few days" and instead of killing them mercifully you are forced to watch them die of dehydration. A maddening and indefensible relic that I believe younger generations will abolish. There's obviously far more complicated end of life situations, but this particular case is extremely common.
- SoftTalker 2y agoDeath by dehydration, at least for an old sick person, is rather natural and though it sounds awful it’s not really painful for the dying person. Before IV hydration it’s how most people died.
- bamboozled 2y agoI believe younger generations will abolish. I wouldn’t count on it. I’ve learned young people are just the same as everyone else. I hope I’m wrong but I used to think they had more empathy. Let’s see.,
- dghlsakjg 2y agoMy BIL is a head hospice nurse. If it helps, they don’t ever deny people fluids who want or need them. What happens towards the end is the body stops being able to process fluids due to failing organs. Pushing fluids into someone in this state makes them less comfortable. People aren’t thirsty or suffering from a lack of fluids. As far as putting someone out of their misery, there’s a reason that they put them on high dosage opioids. If you want to keep someone out of pain while helping their heart and lungs stop peacefully, you couldn’t pick a better drug.
- muhis 2y agoThank you for this comment. I have also worked a bit with hospice. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation regarding this issue. I find it sad that some are left with the incorrect notion that their loved ones were denied care at their last moment. I.v. fluids may somewhat alleviate sedation of a dying person, but they can increase swelling, formation of pleural fluids and cause shortness of breath. If a dying person won’t drink anything anymore, it’s mostly a sign that they don’t need any extra fluids.
- standardUser 2y agoI don't see drugging someone out of their gourd to be a plus in this situation.
- dghlsakjg 2y agoIt’s still all based on consent. Doctors are mandated to obtain informed consent, and patients have the right to refuse any treatment or medication they don’t want. It appears that you may not be well-informed about end-of-life care protocols. Once a patient is admitted to ‘hospice care,’ the focus shifts from extending and preserving life to enhancing their quality of life.
- matttproud 2y agoAt a hospice literally right now for a loved one (who is sound asleep). The nurse working there quoted something like this: ca. 95% of the people admitted will die of dehydration since they can't take in fluids after a certain point. My knowledge of anatomy is poor, so I am unsure how I feel about this. It isn't helped by the morphine, which seems to further separate the loved one from reality in a manner that seem premature (compared to the other painkillers that the person has been on that have been having a high degree of efficacy). And to be clear, I am 100% behind the idea of hospice and medically-assisted suicide. Just feel very torn right now with the impending loss of the loved one.
- dghlsakjg 2y agoThat sucks. I hope it brings you peace to know just how much all of the hospice workers I know care. Everything they do is about comfort and dignity, and there are chaplains, and medical workers that can help you with these concerns.
- dyauspitr 2y agoI mean you’re on morphine the whole time, you’re not going to feel a thing.
- standardUser 2y agoIf only drugs worked that way.