Today's "Palliative Care" isn't what you think it is! Fight SB 2080

Vulnerable elderly need our vigilance!

I received the email below from my colleague Betty Wickham of Life Tree yesterday. We're a little behind the ball on this, but it's absolutely essential to take action. Call it an Advent Action against our modern day Herods who target the vulnerable. 

As I read the bill, it's about funding the education of "care teams" who are being trained in the new palliative approach that isn't about caring for patients, but caring for the bottom line. Palliative care today is more about saving money than caring for patients. Teams are trained to urge patients to refuse treatment. 

Every time I go to a "care meeting" with my sister at her nursing home, the staff bring up "the form" again which is a subtle pressure to refuse end-of-life care and choose non-treatment. For example, one question is about refusing intubation. If I had encouraged my sister to do that she would likely be dead. During a bout with pneumonia last year she was on a ventilator in ICU for about 24 hours. She would probably have died without it.