Scenario #1 An 82 year old patient has signed a healthcare directive indicating that he agrees to a ventilator and feeding tube “temporality” but does not want any heroic measures to survive. He...

Scenario #1

An 82 year old patient has signed a healthcare directive indicating that he agrees to a ventilator and feeding tube “temporality” but does not want any heroic measures to survive. He suffers a major setback in his recovery. The patient is not coherent enough to speak for himself and is placed on a ventilator and a feeding tube is inserted. Days turn into weeks and he is not recovering.

Questions

1. As a family member, what would you do in this situation?


2. At what point does the ventilator and feeding tube become a heroic measure?


3. Do you think that his healthcare directive was detailed enough? If not, why?