Maggie's Farm

I see two problems with these policies:
1. Some people who could be helped with medical care, i.e. surgery or treatment, will not be allowed to get that care because of their age. That is they are going to die anyway so why spend money on them. This happened to my wife's grandfather who at age 80 was told if he didn't have a quadruple bypass he would likely die within two years. Canadian health care basically didn't want to spend that mush money on an 80 year old so he did in fact die two years later. This was an otherwise health robust man who could have lived many years past his premature death if his health care hadn't been denied.

2. Patients who are terminal are sent home with "hospice" care and drugged and cared for by family until they die. But many die from lack of good care. They may die a week earlier than they might have with good care or they may die many weeks, many months or even years earlier because hospice isn't adequate. We will never know because they are not in the care of health professionals and they are expected to die so when they do no questions are asked. The biggest mistake that causes early death in hospice care I believe is inadequate hydration. The patient doesn't eat or drink well/enough is lethargic and the care giver doesn't know what to do. Don't keep pestering them to drink water or eat their food they are peacefully resting. But in fact they are in a progressive condition where they aren't getting enough liquids and thus they are lethargic and semi conscious and become more dehydrated and more lethargic and the caregiver may in fact simply be happy that they appear to be resting. But they are dying from lack of care. They have pain killers or pain patch and they feel nothing and simply go in and out of consciousness and the care giver is clueless. Then they die... as expected.