¶ … Terry Schiavo died, she had been in a persistent vegetative state for more than ten years. Her husband claimed that Terry "wouldn't have wanted to live in her condition," and had legal guardianship over his wife in her condition ("Terry Schiavo Has Died," 2005). Although Terry's parents' feelings are valid and they do matter, it is clear that the courts made the right decision. There are many reasons why the courts made the right decision. The first reason is purely legal. Michael Schiavo, the husband, did have legal guardianship over his wife in this case. The parents of Terry, Bob and Mary Schindler, tried to wrest legal control from their son-in-law to gain control over their daughter's life. While it is understandable the parents would have wanted control, there is a reason why the law offers legal guardianship to the husband. If Michael Schiavo were unfit to be the legal guardian for his wife, then the courts would have ruled in their favor. As it was, the parents fought to take guardianship from the husband since 1998 and failed. Therefore, the husband had the right -- legally and ethically -- to make decisions on behalf of his wife. When Michael Schiavo decided...
Common sense shows that after ten years, Terry Schiavo was unlikely to recover from a persistent vegetative state. Even if she had awoken, she would not be a fully functional human being because she had already suffered "severe brain damage." Schiavo was already a burden on her family and the healthcare system, and taking her off of life support alleviated a burden undoubtedly felt most poignantly by her husband Michael. In addition to the emotional burden borne by the husband, Terry Shiavo had a financial burden to her husband and to the medical system.
Assisted Suicide The ethical and moral issues surrounding assisted suicide are presented in this paper through interviews and research. Assisted suicide has always been a controversial subject and it continues to be controversial although there are people who believe it is moral, ethical, and should be made legal. My Neighbor and Friend -- Ms. Rogers -- Interviewed February 4, 2015 Ms. Rogers is a 55-year-old Caucasian widow who lives in my neighborhood. She
APNs have reported feeling greatly distressed when it comes to having to make end-of-life decisions because of a lack of support in this area. In conclusion, more effort needs to be put into making the lines less blurry for APNs so that they can make end-of-life decisions with more confidence and support. References: Ahrens, T., & Kolleff, M. (2003). Improving family communications at the end of life: implications for length of stay
Ethics The Terri Schiavo case was an unusual incident where a person who should have been removed from life support long ago was sustained due to federal and public intervention. The case instigates moral and ethical questions of decision to end life as well as the limits of autonomy in surrogate decision making. Torke et al. (2008) argue that guardian judgment is often used as decision-making when a patient lacks the
Euthanasia Should Be Illegal Euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing death, as by withholding extreme medical measures, a person or animal suffering from an incurable, often painful, disease or condition (Euthanasia, Infoplease.com). Today, medical advances have made it possible to prolong life in patients with no hope of recovery, and the term negative euthanasia has arisen to classify the practice of withholding or withdrawing extraordinary
Ethical Issue One of the most important ethical issues in nursing is how to approach end-of-life care. Nurses have a duty to provide compassionate care in ways that respects the individual’s autonomy and dignity. As patients live longer due to advancements in medical care, nurses are increasingly being faced with care options that extend life, versus options that do not extend life but which promote quality of life through a greater
It is feared that religious differences in decisions regarding when to withhold treatment are being ignored by the courts. The social and legal issues are highlighted in cases that involve pre-term infants. In the elderly, the cultural consensus is that these persons have lived their life and are close to death anyway. However, in the case of a pre-term infant, the issue is raised of what measures should be taken
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