Life Support Question

We have a neighbour who had a stroke 3 weeks ago and has been unconscious since then. He has been transfered to a care home lakeside and I have been told that his family cannot take him off life support. So does that mean that he will never be allowed to officially die? By the way he is over 90.

Not to sound callous but if they stopped paying the care home the life support would probably be cut off (unless SP is paying for it?).

Can't officially answer, but I had an acquaintance who was put on life support in a Guadalajara hospital. Her daughter in the States okayed the removal of life support. The hospital had to run three tests before they could disconnect. One of the tests indicated some functioning, so they refused the request. Daughter had medical air transport to the states, hopeful her mother would come back. After nine months her mother was finally allowed to die.

Ideally you need to plan for these eventualities, it is much more difficult to remove the life support tubes etc., best not to have them put in at the on set.....but that is not your question, a very sad sitution

Until the family is able to let go and order the pt taken off life support, nothing can change. Assuming they have POA.

When we had our Mexican wills done, we asked about this. The notary told us that hospitals won't take them off life support. However, you are allowed to have the patient transferred by ambulance to your house where you are in control. The hospital doesn't want the liability of taking them off.

I asked a hospital if they have do-not-resuscitate as an option and they told me no. They will try 3 times then call it but no DNR's here.

The way thet used to be handled in France is that the people would go home with family and then it was between their family doctor and the wife and children and sometimes between the nurses and the family.. I bet you it is not that different here.

That's how it is here, Brigitte, if you have a good doc.

I have always heard that there are compassionate doctors here who will "assist" you if the need becomes evident and God bless them. Decades ago it was not uncommon for family doctors to give you enough morphine to kill your pain and that often killed you. Not so common now since NOB docs are so terrified of legal ramifications.

Carry Bean wrote:I have always heard that there are compassionate doctors here who will "assist" you if the need becomes evident and God bless them.  Decades ago it was not uncommon for family doctors to give you enough morphine to kill your pain and that often killed you.  Not so common now since NOB docs are so terrified of legal ramifications.

Hospice nurses under the advice of their medical directors used to tell families that they could increase the morphine to relieve the patients' increasing pain but that doses above current levels would inhibit breathing and could hasten death. The alternative was increasing pain and the decision was theirs. Most opted for the increased dosage and, yes, death usually occurred shortly after.

Carry Bean wrote:I have always heard that there are compassionate doctors here who will "assist" you if the need becomes evident and God bless them.  Decades ago it was not uncommon for family doctors to give you enough morphine to kill your pain and that often killed you.  Not so common now since NOB docs are so terrified of legal ramifications.

Hospice palliative care. That's how its done Nob. Morphine is very common in the end.

This discussion begs the question, how much morphine is required and will an overdose of pills work.

newinajijic wrote:This discussion begs the question, how much morphine is required and will an overdose of pills work.

I don't quite see the logistics of administering pills to an unconscious/comatose patient. I think what is envisioned is a morphine drip with the idea being that you gradually increase the dosage (to "relieve the pain").

Hospice uses liquid Morphine and Ativan. It is administered sublingually.
Sometimes rectally.