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Nursing home to pay for ignoring living will
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published March 18, 2007
WEST PALM BEACH - A Palm Beach County jury ruled a nursing home failed to honor the living will of a 92-year-old Alzheimer's patient who didn't want to be kept alive by artificial means. The Friday decision marked the end of the state's first prolongation-of-life trial. The jury found that the Joseph L. Morse Geriatric Center in West Palm Beach failed to follow the end-of-life directives of Madeline Neumann and that it should pay $150,000 in damages. The panel declined to find Morse's former medical director, Dr. Jaimy Bensimon, negligent. As Neumann lay dying in 1995, rescue workers arrived and began reviving her. She was rushed to a hospital, where she died six days later after various lifesaving measures. Neumann's granddaughter, Linda Scheible, said she wanted her grandmother's "unnecessary suffering" to send a message to nursing homes everywhere.
[Last modified March 18, 2007, 00:19:00]
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by Joe
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03/19/07 02:37 AM
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I think that, if the granddaughter, linda scheible wanted to send the message, she should donate $150,000 to some reasearch facility in an attempt to cure Alzheimer's. If not, then she is like anybody else, trying to "get paid" over the loss.
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by dawn
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03/18/07 06:46 PM
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yes, charlie is right. they are to inform the EMT of all medical problems/living wills, etc..
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by Jackie
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03/18/07 01:34 PM
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I work for Hospice. If you could see the things that I have,things done to people that have gone on to die anyway. You would all change your mind about the over-heroic measures that can cause undo suffering. I am going to have DNR tatooed on my chest
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by Catherine
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03/18/07 12:41 PM
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AMP: it all comes down to the quality of life. When you have a living will or DNR order and are in a nursing home, it is their job to make sure your wishes are carried out, so that you and your loved ones are not subject to unnecessary suffering
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by Charlie
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03/18/07 11:28 AM
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Sorry...she, not he. My appologies.
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by Charlie
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03/18/07 11:26 AM
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Amp, the nursing home staff is responsible for telling the EMT's about such things as current medications the patient is on, allergies, and living will-related issues. As far as saving his life: He didn't want that and that needs to be respected.
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by amp
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03/18/07 08:16 AM
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Whats wrong with todays society when people try to sue for trying to save one of there loved ones from sure death.First off how would the emt workers know anything about a living will.
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