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Are You Being Pressured By The Healthcare Team To “Let Go”?
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Not infrequently a family caregiver is confronted with the dilemma imposed by the inpatient healthcare team attending to a loved one to “let go.” It has happened to me personally multiple times, to friends, and those L’Orech Yomim advocates for. “Why are you so stubborn?! Why don’t you just let go already,” is the mantra.
Of course, Jewish tradition advises to consult with a rabbinic authority knowledgeable in these matters regarding the suitability of this suggestion. Determination is made on a case by case basis. The rabbinic authority will review the patient’s condition, discuss the matter with the physician and advise the family whether it would be acceptable. Most often the outcome of the review is that life sustaining intervention should be continued. For those who prescribe to the sanctity of life this comes as no surprise. In my experience, once explained that the matter is a religious decision rather than a personal one the health care team becomes more respectful.
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"In my experience, once explained that the matter is a religious decision rather than a personal one the health care team becomes more respectful."
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Rabbi Reuven G. Becker, Director, L'Orech Yomim
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Critical Armor: The Advance Directive
Critical armor in this emotional “life and death” battle is to have an executed advance directive on file. The links below bring you to two rabbinically approved versions of Medical Directive and Health Care Proxy documents. No attorney is needed. Simply fill one out, witnesses sign and present to health care providers.
Use This Finding:
The Myth Regarding the High Cost of End-of-Life Care
The following scientific study finding should also be added to your arsenal and shared with the medical team. Entitled "The Myth Regarding the High Cost of End-of-Life Care," researchers concluded that:
only 11% of individuals in the highest cost group are in their last year of life. Efforts to improve the quality of care for this group are clearly warranted; however, expecting such interventions, if limited to those at the end of life, to have a meaningful impact on overall health care costs is misguided. Not only is this group small, but the window of time for a significant impact on costs is limited by the patients’ life expectancy.
Learn More: Visit Our Website
Visit our website’s Resource and Publication tabs, www.lorechyomim.org for additional tools and guidance.
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