Slow Medicine for a Timely End of Life
May 1, 2009
I recently had a discussion with an acquaintance who is an EMT rescue worker. He and his colleagues had gone out on a local call to a home where they knew the resident had a “do not resuscitate” order on file. What a conflict to deal with, knowing an elder’s wishes but having a frantic family pressing you to “do something now!” In the midst of a medical crisis, the personal wishes of a loved one many sometimes be overlooked or misrepresented, even with the best of intentions.
Elders and their families need to be candid in their discussions regarding daily and emergency care. The NY Times has published a great article about one community that is practicing “slow medicine,” with the hope that its residents will avoid the pitfalls of “death by intensive care.”
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