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Advances in medical technology have done a great deal to produce miraculous cures and recoveries. In some circumstances however, these advances have created problems for the elderly. More aggressive technology approaches are used to extend the life of the elderly. ... With these advances it has become possible to keep people in a vegetative state for almost unlimited periods of time. ... A 1991 law called The Patient Self Determination Act (PSDA) requires hospitals and nursing homes to tell patients about their right to refuse medical treatment. ... Some people list every medical intervention they do not want, while others want to make clear their request for heroic measures at any cost. ... The population clearly seeks more control over both their future medical care and also the method, timing, and place of their death. ... Dealing with death and suffering on a daily basis does not make it easy for medical professionals to make decisions about removing life support. ... After all, the medical decision horizon looks substantially different today than it did just a few years ago. ... Nurses in the outpatient setting can educate patients to ask their physicians to make their advance directive part of their medical record, they should keep a copy where it can be found easily and to communicate their wishes clearly to their family and physician and be sure they are understood.
Approximate Word count = 911
Approximate Pages = 3.6
(250 words per page double spaced)
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