SAFEGUARD
FOR LIFE-ENDING DECISIONS
HOSPITAL OR HOSPICE ENROLLMENT
The patient who is considering life-ending decisions
should be receiving medical care either in a hospital or a hospice
program.
This safeguard is automatically fulfilled by the hospital or hospice
enrollment.
And the certification of this safeguard consists of
stating the name and address of the hospital or hospice
and the dates for the most recent care
that is relevant to the
end-of-life choices of the patient.
All the relevant medical records
will already be
carefully maintained by the medical institutions named.
And if it seems relevant, a summary of these records
can be assembled and added to the death-planning record.
In many ways this safeguard might replace the older
safeguard called "terminal illness".
When the patient has been receiving medical care in a hospital or
hospice,
the fact of being enrolled for such professional medical care
is sufficient proof that the patient has a serious medical condition.
And the exact facts of this medical condition will be contained in
the primary
physician's written statement of
condition and prognosis.
If the patient has been enrolled in a hospice program,
this generally means that everyone involved agrees that the condition
is terminal,
even if there is no official
declaration of terminal illness in any of
the medical records.
HOW HOSPITAL AND HOSPICE CARE DISCOURAGE
IRRATIONAL SUICIDE AND OTHER PREMATURE
DEATHS
Persons who find themselves tempted to commit
irrational suicide
usually do not enroll themselves in hospital care or hospice programs.
Hospitals admit patients only when there is a real disease or
condition to be treated.
Psychiatric hospitals or treatment programs accept patients with
'mental illnesses'.
If the patient is already known to have suicidal
tendencies,
the treatment program takes the urge to commit irrational suicide into
account.
If the patient is receiving some form of medical
treatment, with careful record-keeping,
mistakes and abuses of the right-to-die are much less likely.
People who are plotting to commit murder or otherwise cause a premature
death
do not want their actions recorded by any medical institution.
If needed, hospitals and hospice programs should be
informed
of the danger of mercy-killing taking place by some hidden means
while patients are supposed to be receiving care.
Additional surveillance and other security measures might be needed
if there is any suspicion that some family member
or even an enemy of
the patient is going to attempt to kill the patient
while that patient is receiving
hospital or hospice care.
All medical discussions and decisions become part of
the patient's medical record.
These records are kept private except in those rare instances
where there is probably cause to believe that a crime (harm) has been
committed
under the guise of hospital or hospice care.
created January 17,
2007; revised 2-1-2007; 3-15-2008; 4-28-2008