US: Hospice care is still underutilized at 1.45 million patients

Description:

The Washington Post reports that only 39 percent of Americans who died last year were in hospice. The average patient spent a little more than two months under that care; about a third moved to hospice only in the last week of life. Hospice care has grown from about 25,000 patients in 1982, when Congress approved coverage under Medicare, to 1.45 million people in 2008.

"It's significantly underutilized. People are referred very late," said Dr. Richard Payne, a Duke University professor who heads the school's Institute on Care at the End of Life. A 2007 study published in the journal Social Science and Medicine found that among Medicare patient deaths, those who used hospice saved taxpayers an average $2,309 over their last year. In some cases, the savings were as much as $7,000, depending on the illness and length of hospice stay.

This report uses the story of Lillian Landry to illustrate how a living will can provide a better death. Had Landry not made her wishes known, she likely would have been subjected to CT scans, blood tests, IVs and a feeding tube, rather than peacefully resting in the hospice.

[Note: there are stories in the Overflow: section below.]

Links:

To read the full article click on one of these links, both of which go to the same destination. A short link is provided for the convenience of readers. Also, readers may search and browse past advisories on the web (see bottom.)

Source:

Sedensky, Matt. "Few Americans make end-of-life wishes known". The Washington Post. Wednesday, November 11, 2009 7:30 PM. <www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/11/AR2009111122395.html>. The Washington Post, P.O. Box 17370, Arlington, VA 22216, U.S.A. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.

Tags:

Tags (or keywords) briefly indicate some major topics of the report.

  • living will

  • hospice

  • U.S.A.

Overflow:

Stories that EuthaNEWSia did not get to:

  • South Australia: Embroiled in a lethal argument [The Australian]
    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/embroiled-in-a-lethal-argument/story-e6frg7ko-1225795218619

    An anti-euthanasia columnist surveys the situation in South Australia: "LAST week the longstanding majority against legalised euthanasia in the South Australian upper house came perilously close to collapsing. Most observers doubt that Ann Bressington, the Legislative Council independent member who cast her vote to enable further debate on a legalisation bill, will ultimately support it. But even if she were to do so, there is not enough time for the House of Assembly to consider it in the last fortnight of sittings before Christmas and the long recess until the state election in March. So the present bill will lapse. However, the election marks the retirement of some steadfast opponents of euthanasia and their replacement in both chambers by people who've indicated support for the bill. In the life of the next parliament, unless Premier Mike Rann decides to exert his considerable influence, a new private member's bill will be introduced and is likely to be passed after a conscience vote."

  • The Newest Star of Human Liberty [Compassion & Choices Blog]
    http://compassionandchoices.org/blog/?p=715

    Barbara Coombs Lee defines end-of-life choices in terms of human liberty: "The newest star in the constellation of autonomy and personal freedom emerges at the edge of life. Its light will shine fully when we establish the right of all terminally ill, mentally competent adults to control their last days. Securing the liberty to access medication one may choose to ingest to achieve a peaceful death establishes the over-riding principle that end-of-life decisions reside with patients themselves, not doctors, not politicians and not the government or religious leaders."

  • Britain: Dying GP urges new law on assisted suicide [Pulse]
    http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=35&storycode=4124261&c=2

    "Dr Ann McPherson is the GP behind the million-selling book Diary of a Teenage Health Freak and the DIPEx patient support charity. She is also terminally ill with advanced pancreatic cancer, and believes people suffering as she is must be given the option of an assisted death. She claimed the position held by the BMA and RCGP was far from evidence-based: 'There are different views but at the moment one view prevails and that seems to me wrong. There should be a proper debate.'"

  • New Jersey: HNH to open hospice on old Saddle River estate [NorthJersey.com]
    http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/69828427.html

    "Dying from an incurable disease is a lonely and painful ordeal. As victims of intractable cancers grow sicker, they become burdensome to their families, compounding the pain of their final days with feelings of guilt. There comes a time when the dying patient may recognize that the battle against the disease cannot be won.There comes a time when the dying patient may recognize that the battle against the disease cannot be won…. The Villa Marie Claire will focus on natural and holistic activities that bring spiritual healing to patients and families. "

  • Britain: Baby RB father drops right to life fight [Daily Mail]
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1226451/Mothers-views-childs-care-outweighs-father-says-senior-paediatrician.html

    Baby RB's father today conceded all but palliative treatment should be removed. In a statement the father said he had come to the 'agonisingly difficult decision' after listening to all the arguments presented in court.

  • Britain: Let's give elderly the legal right to die at home, says Health Secretary [Daily Mail]
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1226537/Lets-elderly-legal-right-die-home-says-Health-Secretary.html

    Health Secretary Andy Burnham is to announce plans to consult on a range of new 'patient rights'. Burnham says he wants to consult on a number of other legal entitlements, including the right to die at home.

  • Britain: Our great doctors will kill off the euthanasia lobby [Telegraph]
    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/georgepitcher/100016287/our-great-doctors-will-kill-off-the-euthanasia-lobby/

    Opinion piece by the Telegraph's religion editor.

  • Tasmania: Terminal case of weakness [The Mercury]
    http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/11/09/108675_opinion.html

    Columnist in Tasmania's The Mercury writes: "Then on Wednesday night, 15 gutless MPs voted down Greens Leader Nick McKim's attempt to provide the ultimate human right: the right to choose when to die if one is in excruciating, irrecoverable pain…. The right to die will come one day, as did the end of slavery, and the right of black Americans to vote. Mr McKim should take some comfort from this."

  • Johnson: Friend's torturous death inspires fight for end-of-life rights [The Denver Post]
    http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_13744692

    Sally Odenheimer is on a mission now, to rally support in Colorado for end-of-life-rights legislation that would allow others to escape the miserable end her friend, Kathy, suffered. "She could legally remove her feeding tube, but she could not ask for a lethal injection," Odenheimer said. Kathy had pleaded with the nurses for one. "In this country, we treat our animals better. I would never starve my dog to death if he was sick," she said. "But with a dog, we give them a lethal injection to prevent suffering."

  • Next Debate on Canada Bill to Legalize Assisted Suicide Pushed to December [LifeNews.com]
    http://www.lifenews.com/bio2993.html

    "The original date for the second hour of debate was November 16, but Schadenberg learned that she had traded with another Bloc MP to move the date back to November 19. Yesterday, Lalonde pushed back the date to December 1 with the vote taking place the next day."

ID:

The EuthaNEWSia ID for this advisory is: enid200911132381.
Mailed: Friday, November 13, 2009 14:32:13 -0600
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Etcetera:

EuthaNEWSia is a free Canadian news advisory service covering end-of-life issues such as right to die, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. EuthaNEWSia is produced by the Right to Die Society of Canada which works toward a good death for all, including open, regulated and equitable access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The editor is Michael Dawson <editor@euthanewsia.ca>. 

-------------------------------------------------------------

EuthaNEWSia mailing list

To SUBSCRIBE send a message to:

euthanewsia-subscribe@euthanewsia.ca
SUBJECT and TEXT may be left blank

To UNSUBSCRIBE send a message to:

euthanewsia-unsubscribe@euthanewsia.ca
SUBJECT and TEXT may be left blank 

-------------------------------------------------------------

On the Web:

Problems? Send an email to: editor@euthanewsia.ca