Fury at ‘do not resuscitate’ notices given to Covid patients with learning disabilities
www.theguardian.com
Vulnerable people have encountered ‘shocking discrimination’ during pandemic, says Mencap charity

not sure how to properly trigger warning this. Anyway, this made me extremely angry! I hate it! I don't have anything clever to say!

:anglo-burn:

  • FidelCashflow [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Same comrade.

    Is it? I know they have oegan donaton as the default over there. I though the default was DNR in situations of poor expected health outcomes. True there isn't informed concent. However I think their standard of care counts implied concent in this decision. They just take inverse case of it that we do. Where the assumed dicision is for the doctors to do no harm. But I haven't read the ethics analysis in a long time so I could be full of half remembered shit.

    • Gay_Wrath [fae/faer]
      ·
      4 years ago

      DNACPRs are usually made for people who are too frail to benefit from CPR, but Mencap said some seem to have been issued for people simply because they had a learning disability. The CQC is due to publish a report on the practice within weeks.

      This is from the article and what i'm referring to. I guess we'll see if they have an explanation in the longer report, but there are so many ways of classing a learning disability - in the US dyslexia counts as a learning disability. So does autism. good thing i'm "high functioning" and i was able to complete the meaningless tasks teachers gave me when i was young and wasn't defined as having a learning disability so some doctors don't decide my life is worth less if i get sick

      • FidelCashflow [he/him]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I wont be able to say for sure till after the report but I took it to be low functioning individuals.

        People who have a nominal quality of life and require full time care. Generally with such severe disability they cannot give informed concent.
        In time of a pandemic where there was a concern that there wouldn't be enough ventilators going around its a hard choice to make. Every DNR you sign for them possobly saves a life a person who could go on to lead a happy well adjusted life given care. Which is the eithic choice? Sign the paper and hope for the best? If you don't there will be a story in the news about a single mother of two that died for want of a vent and you know your actions might have stoped it. Its a brutal game played with peoples lives but I don't think I can fault a doctor for any decision they make in those situations. No one should have to make that kinda call. Capitalism goes brrrr though. So someone has to.