Kevorkian: ‘I have no regrets’:
Recently Dr. Jack “Doctor death” as some would so disrespectfully label him, gave an interview to Dr. Sanjay Gupta for CNN News.
The following bullet points are the highlights of their interview.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Dr. Jack Kevorkian says he has assisted in the suicide of at least 130 people
- Kevorkian prefers the term “patholysis,” destruction of disease or suffering
- Says his case was a constitutional issue; Supreme Court should have heard it
- Tells Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “I am not ready to die”
Personally I think the old doc is an international hero and should get the recognition he deserves instead of him being chastised at every turn.
He performed a great service to people that were terminal ill and “wanted out.” He never assisted anyone that did not solicited his services.
What dignity does a terminally ill person have when someone has to wipe their ass, feed them and care for them as if they were an infant? It is demeaning and demoralizing and many times that someone can be a family member,
I may agree that possibly in his heyday of assisting people by putting an end to their suffering, Dr. Jack may have become a little arrogant in the way he taunted the law and the media. He is a fighter and was punching back.
All in all, especially since I personally know many people approaching that magic number of life expectancy, all people should have the right to dictate or decide their own fate or future.
If the person is of sound mind and body where they can make their own rational decisions or if they have their wishes legally written on how they want to “cash in” that should be sufficient.
No one can convince me that on a whole; not all but the vast majority of the medical community, is against euthanasia because they make a tremendous amount of money keeping people alive.
We never had as many nursing homes in this country as we do now. People are getting older and require physical attention. These facilities are vehemently against euthanasia.
Most nursing homes are a very good facility for some people but if a person is strapped to their wheelchair, shot up with dope so they don’t bother anyone, sitting there 16 hours a day in a stupor with their tongues hanging out and slobbering, that is pathetic. I have seen that same scenario first hand more times than I would like to remember.
The majority of these people don’t even know if they are dead or alive. People should be given a little dignity before their curtain falls.
Family members that want these types of people to linger on are very selfish.
Being confined to a good nursing home is bad but being locked away in one of the many sub-standard money-pits is the next thing close to hell. Go visit one someday if you doubt my word.
It is a known and pathetic fact that the majority of families who put their loved one into a home hardly ever visit them. They only show up when the person croaks and the bank books are opened to see if there are any crumbs for them.
A fact being, the patients in nursing homes who have people visit them on a daily basis receive better care from the staff.
I will say one thing for the dedicated/good people that work in nursing facilities; they are heroes and very special people.
The abuse and neglect is so bad in some of these places that there have been guidelines for people to watch for.
US News Health
- Marked emotional or physical changes. Look first to your loved one. You should be concerned if she is less able to function as usual, has stopped taking part in activities, or has become withdrawn and uncommunicative. If Mom is experiencing emotional abuse—such as being ignored or talked down to—she may be agitated and withdrawn, fearful, or experience loss of weight or appetite and sudden changes in mood or sleep pattern. Physical abuse or neglect may be a concern if Dad has unexplained bruises, pressure ulcers, or skin tears, particularly in areas that are not regularly visible, like the upper back, hips, and thighs.
- Unanswered or deflected questions. “I don’t know, but I will find out” is an acceptable response—but not regularly, and you shouldn’t get the feeling there’s something to hide. “If staff are evasive with your questions, unable to answer your questions, or refuse to discuss your loved one’s care with you, this is a big red flag that care may be suboptimal,” says Amy Jo Haavisto Kind, an assistant professor in geriatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
- Frantic, discordant, or inadequate staff. A busy, thin-stretched staff may be unavoidable at times, experts say. But does it always feel chaotic when you visit? Are staff working well together, or do they seem to have bad attitudes? At meals, do they talk only among themselves or do they mingle with residents? Does important information get lost between shift changes?
- High staff turnover. “Some regular staff turnover is an unfortunate reality at most nursing homes,” says Kind. “However, if you notice that your loved one’s nursing home constantly is training new staff to the point that no one on the staff knows your loved one—well, it is time to look for a new nursing home.” Consistent staff-resident pairing is important in the quality of care Mom gets.
- “I don’t want so-and-so to care for me.” Your loved one should never feel distressed or uncomfortable around any staff member, experts say. Even if Dad suffers from cognitive problems, “take these statements seriously and investigate them thoroughly with the nursing home leadership,” says Kind. “They may be signs of mistreatment or neglect.”
These are approximate number but very close. The number of nursing homes in the USA is 16,100 with a total of 1.7 million beds.
With an 86% occupancy rate that = 1,445,000 beds are occupied X the average price per patient per year of $80,000.00 = that staggering figure of $115,600,000,000.00 a year they rake in.
Folks that number is not with an “M” it is a “B” (billion). Can we now understand why the nursing home owners want to keep their sick and dying patients alive??
That is one hell of a buck. The federal government should going into the nursing home business and possible they could pay off the national debt in a couple of years. That is if they didn’t find a way to screw that up too which would be highly likely.
Last year Medicare paid hospitals and doctor over 55 billion dollars to keep the terminally ill people alive. Combining hospital, doctor and nursing home fees the terminally ill people generated well over $171,000,000,000.00 (that is a “B”) a year. What a profitable industry keeping people alive, many of which would like to just “pass on.”
What can be a better gift to give someone that is dying then to have them make their own decision as to when they want to go to the “happy hunting grounds” in the sky?
I read years back about the Eskimos tradition of dealing with old people that have “done their time” and are at the end of the road.
They are taken out with dignity to an iceberg, left there alone to freeze to death, which I understand is a very humane way to go. I would buy that in a minute.
There are a few states in the Union that do allow a person to take their own life if they meet certain qualifications. Washington – Oregon – New Mexico – Vermont and Montana and a few others are beginning to turn their heads.
Dr. Jack someday will go down in history as “the pioneer” in assisted suicides for the terminally ill and be honored as an innovator in the field. Too bad he wouldn’t be around to see it.
For the same reason GM and some other car manufacturers ignore malfunctions with their vehicles until their back is against the wall and have to deal with it, is the same reason the medical community wants to prolong the lives of the terminally ill.
My fellow Americans (Nixon) or FOLKS as Mr. Obama refers to the American public; “it is ALWAYS about the money.”
Start shopping around now for the magic pill. You never know when you will need it.
The Goomba Gazette 