Patients Have the Right to Choose Death From Bedsores

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Found @ Medscape Nurses Free registration required.

This is an ethical issues home care nurses run into all the time: patients who choose not to be compliant with wound care or decline to turn in bed.

Additionally as an Intake Manager, I can decline home care referral when they've been our client recently and it's the 3rd time for hospitalization due sacral decub + refusing to follow treatment plan.

Patients Have the Right to Choose Death From Bedsores

[somenurse]

this looks like it will be such an interesting read, as this is so so common amongst patients. Can't wait til Medscape ever mails me my password so i can read it...

[somenurse]

finally got Medscape to email me a new password, since i'd forgotten my old one.

what a thought provoking and interesting article!! I don't know i've ever encountered a patient who didn't want to be turned specifically just to end his life (as it seems this patient was doing)

Most of the ones i've met who won't turn, say it's due to pain or discomfort or their "good arm" is now unavailable, or some other reason that they won't turn. (one LTC pt said it was cuz he couldn't see his tv unless he was on his back).

But no mention is made of this man complaining of pain or other common reasons, it almost seems he was refusing to turn, specifically to hasten his own death. (or, perhaps the man's original reason to not turn, was not included in this article.)

but, whatever the man's reasons to refuse to turn, it is a most thought provoking article.

Interesting last 2 paragraphs on that article, too.

lot to think about...lot to think about.

[somenurse]

I wonder if if if this man has been in home care, (say he had live in caregiver, or something, so this man was in home care)

i wonder,

would he have been dropped from home care for noncompliance then?