Growing Old With Dignity

[atsah]

Don’t forget to wear diapers.

Lol..

 

[Doofy]

Even Jack Kevorkian used an odd cocktail that took a while. Was this to make sure there was no pain?

 

[ovrszd]

Lol..

I don't think he was trying to be funny. Most death, especially traumatic causes release of bladder/bowels.

 

[atsah]

I don't think he was trying to be funny. Most death, especially traumatic causes release of bladder/bowels.

Most people know everything lets go when one dies and that's why I thought he was being funny..

 

[drssg]

I think some of it depends on the mental state late in life. My dad didn’t show tendencies towards suicide or despair. In regular conversation, he seemed perfectly normal, but his short-term memory was shot.

He could read the newspaper for hours, with no recollection of what he just read. (I accidentally learned that through casual conversation.) And yet, he *wanted* to read the paper. His face would really brighten up when I handed it to him.

He seemed to just live in the moment and not dwell on what his life had become.

 

[Jstpssng]

A younger man (22+-) I'd known since he was a kid shot himself, then (allegedly) begged his GF not to call an ambulance as he slowly bled to death over the course of a half hour or more. His parents later tried to get a law passed making it mandatory to call for help in those circumstances.

 

[Doofy]

Interesting topic. Some of us will be facing these exact circumstances and I certainly welcome the debate.

 

[ovrszd]

Interesting topic. Some of us will be facing these exact circumstances and I certainly welcome the debate.

As medical technology advances more of us will live beyond "good" days.

 

[Jstpssng]

As medical technology advances more of us will live beyond "good" days.

That's why I have a "Living Will". It doesn't cover all of the contingencies, but at least there is no question that I don't want a stinking machine keeping me breathing. (Remember Karen Quinlan?)

 

[downsizingnow48]

This is important. My mother in law contracted an intestinal infection in post-hospital care. The doctors wanted to do surgery that would remove some of her intestines. She had made her wishes clear, no extraordinary measures to be taken.

 

[drssg]

If a loved one decided that their life was no longer worth living, I could respect that. I would find it sad if they took their life to avoid being a burden or spending their money.

Caring for elders is not easy, but I feel it is part of life. God forbid, you could even say I changed my father’s diaper, because he sometimes lost bladder control overnight. It was about as traumatic as changing a pair of underwear. Instead of going into the laundry, they go in the trash.

 

[ultrarunner]

My point exactly.

You reckon taxpayers picked up the balance?

No unless it was a county facility which are few around here.

There is the bill rate, in network rate, contract rate, cash pay rate, charitable rate/write off...

Several Not for Profit Hospitals were under scrutiny for having huge cash reserves and not much on the charitable side...

Also, the cash rate can be half or less than the billed rate...

Think about it... why is a procedure billed at 40k in network and 100k out of network?

SF General just revamped it's entire billing for network and out of network and Sacramento is debating new rules on this...