GroshLink

I found Dr. Rosenfield's May 22, 2005 Parade Piece quite insightful on our current health-care climate and the writing of a living will. As a Dentist's son who grew-up as part of & served as an assistant in an office where hospitality and listening are keys to excellent patient care/development/progress, I couldn't agree more w/the below quote. Even w/the complicated nature of care which we've received over the past several years for the various members of our family, a high emphasis has been placed on the relationship w/our health care professionals. There is a trust relationship necessary for familial, invasive, and long-term care:

Years ago, when I became a doctor, what meant most to me—and what was extremely important for patients—was the doctor-patient relationship. That’s something we hear very little about these days. The doctor was like a member of the family. He or she knew all about you, your spouse, your parents, your children, your work, your ambitions, your fears, your hopes—as well as your health. True, few diseases could be treated effectively then, let alone cured. Still, we always felt better after seeing the doctor—mainly, I think, because we knew he or she really cared.

Patients didn’t worry about who would decide what to do if they were terminally ill. They weren’t concerned about being kept alive artificially or being allowed to die before their time. They trusted their doctor to do the right thing. There were no living wills, no health proxies, no directives to sign when checking into the hospital, declaring whether you wanted to be resuscitated (brought back to life from apparent death), and no one was granted power of attorney. Patients or their families may have been disappointed in their expectations at times, but for the most part, they felt secure.