Artificial feeding-Terri Schiavo

Nurses General Nursing

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I posted this here becaue I think this subject is something that we as nurses deal with on a regular basis.....Many many people state that they have a big problem with the feeding being stopped "allowing her to starve to death" The Vatican says " To starve her to death is pitiless" Most everyone agrees that it is one's right to refuse to initiate artificial feeding but somehow this situation "is different" How? The patient "starves to death " in both cases-so why has this one galvanized the WORLD? My husband read me a quote from the Bible -forgive me because I can't remember it in detail-it was something along the lines that a woman marries and leaves her father's house and her husband becomes her family....My husband is my POA I hope no-one in my family questions his motives -He KNOWS exactly what I want....I can't question her husbands motives-I know that some suspect foul play and state the results of a bone scan support this...That bone scan was obtained 53 months after she went into her coma-after her body suffered the effects of her eating disorders for a number of years.... Her present level of responsiveness does not pertain to this matter IMHO-she CAN'T eat naturally--she did not ever want to "be kept alive like that " and she can't state otherwise at this point...So- #1 can someone PLEASE make me see why this case is" DIFFERENT" and #2 How do YOU support your patients and their loved ones when they are agonizing over this decision? ONe thing I always ask is "Did your loved one ever give you any idea of what they would want if something like this happened" and if they did then I advocate that stance for that pt as much possible.......I believe that death is the last great trip we'll go on and we should PLAN it as much as possible.The greatest GIFT we can give to our loved ones is an itinerary...........

You know, this case has raised lots of different concerns. One concern I have now is what it is doing to the image of hospice. Especially if it ended up being associated with the right-to-die movement (hospice philosophy is very different). Hospice have enough distortion from the public already.

-Dan

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Dan,

You bring up a good point. There are people involved with hospice who have said this woman doesnt fit the qualifications of hospice.

You right with the confusion with hospice. The Hemlock Society (which gives advise on how to kill yourself) has nurses who work for them. Their literature uses key words where someone might think they are hospice.

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Specializes in Emergency room, med/surg, UR/CSR.

I don't agree with government interference in this case, and I know I definitely would not want to live like Terri is living, but I don't understand why Michael keeps fighting Terri's mom and dad. Why doesn't he just divorce Terri and get on with his life? That way her parents would have what they want, to keep thier daughter in this sad state for the rest of her natural life, her husband could live a normal life without the media circus surrounding him. That is the only thing that really bugs me about this.

Pam

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Contrary to popular belief, if the feeding tube was removed she would not starve to death but die of dehydration. Dehydration is a peaceful and painless death.I did a hugh research paper on this subject and people are misinformed.

Have YOU ever been severely dehydrated? I have! It makes you continually nauseated and your skin even hurts. I sure as heck don't want to die that way.

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Have YOU ever been severely dehydrated? I have! It makes you continually nauseated and your skin even hurts. I sure as heck don't want to die that way.

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I think that this presumption that dehydration is "peaceful" is going on the given that the person is brain dead.

If they are not, the person is given a sufficient amount of painkiller. But I have a hard time believing Michael Schiavo will let his wife have painkiller. I think he wants to make her suffer in every way possible.

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Have YOU ever been severely dehydrated? I have! It makes you continually nauseated and your skin even hurts. I sure as heck don't want to die that way.

You are right - We are mixing up patients here - brain dead or even comatose and dying patients are completely different than Terri, who is not in a coma or brain dead and does respond and is healthy. She would experience the same things children in Africa experience when they dehydrate/starve . . .

steph

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I don't agree with government interference in this case, and I know I definitely would not want to live like Terri is living, but I don't understand why Michael keeps fighting Terri's mom and dad. Why doesn't he just divorce Terri and get on with his life? That way her parents would have what they want, to keep thier daughter in this sad state for the rest of her natural life, her husband could live a normal life without the media circus surrounding him. That is the only thing that really bugs me about this.

Pam

GOOD question... Maybe he doesn't divorce her because there is no benefit in it for him... he probably has a life insurance policy on Terri as well as the remaining money in the "trust" set up for her "care"... its disgusting

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GOOD question... Maybe he doesn't divorce her because there is no benefit in it for him... he probably has a life insurance policy on Terri as well as the remaining money in the "trust" set up for her "care"... its disgusting

Important to remember: if he's listed as the "owner" of any life insurance policy, then he would keep the policy even in the event of a divorce. It's also possible (this is sheer speculation -- I have never heard anything about insurance, or not) that she is the "owner" of any policy, in which case control would be in the hands of her -- or whoever is operating as her power of attorney. In the case of a divorce, obviously, it would no longer be in his hands.

One who is the owner of a policy can change the beneficiary of a policy. If the insured is not the owner of the policy, she can't change the beneficiary, even though the policy is on her life, except under very unusual circumstances.

Jim Huffman, RN

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Specializes in er, pediatric er.

What money could there possibly be from an insurance policy? I would guess that after fifteen years of medical care, there would be enough medical bills to take every bit of any insurance he might have gotten. Wouldn't the hospitals,LTC facility, hospice, ect file against her estate and take the insurance money when she dies?

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What money could there possibly be from an insurance policy? I would guess that after fifteen years of medical care, there would be enough medical bills to take every bit of any insurance he might have gotten. Wouldn't the hospitals,LTC facility, hospice, ect file against her estate and take the insurance money when she dies?

The money would be from a life insurance policy and if Michael is the beneficiary, then the money would go to him. Since she is most likely on Medicaid, those bills from hospitals, etc. are considered paid. Don't forget, you can buy a huge term life insurance policy for minimal amounts.

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The money would be from a life insurance policy and if Michael is the beneficiary, then the money would go to him. Since she is most likely on Medicaid, those bills from hospitals, etc. are considered paid. Don't forget, you can buy a huge term life insurance policy for minimal amounts.

However, the only time Ms. Schiavo would have been "insurable" from an insurance standpoint would have been prior to the initial incident that disabled her -- in other words, 15 years ago, when she was 26. I don't think you could find an insurance company anywhere that would insure her now.

The reason I'm skeptical about there being a life policy on her is that most people -- with large exceptions -- don't think about life insurance at age 26.

Jim Huffman, RN

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Dan,

You bring up a good point. There are people involved with hospice who have said this woman doesnt fit the qualifications of hospice.

You right with the confusion with hospice. The Hemlock Society (which gives advise on how to kill yourself) has nurses who work for them. Their literature uses key words where someone might think they are hospice.

Well, I don't know about in Fl. But in Ca, you need to have 6 months or less to live (estimated by doctor) to be in hospise. If Terry does not have a terminal condition, she would not be in hospice in Ca.

Does the Hemlock Society purposly use words to make people think it is hospise?

-Dan

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Specializes in CV Surgery Step-down.

Don't know why I feel compelled to post. I had a totally different view before I saw the videos on terrisfight.org. Now I know that these were taken years ago, but I saw the face of a woman who lit up when her mother spoke to her. I saw life... Her parents may be wrong to cling to the idea that she will improve, but if there is one thing I was once told and now know, you never give up on your children.

Mr. Schiavo may be Terri's spouse by law, but the day he began living a life with another woman and started a family with her is the day he gave up being her husband...

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