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“Just Let Her Die”<br />
By: Rana Goodman / On My Soapbox<br />
As the days go by, I am receiving more and<br />
more email and phone calls from families<br />
and friends that have negative experiences with<br />
health facilities and hospitals in the Las Vegas Valley. It appears that<br />
there is, at best, little to no oversite by our<br />
state government<br />
Rest assured that The Vegas Voice<br />
will be following up and try to hold the<br />
individuals – both public and private<br />
officials accountable. Hopefully I can<br />
report good news in future <strong>edition</strong>s.<br />
However, one particular case is so<br />
beyond the pale. I received information<br />
about an adult son, who was the trustee<br />
in charge of his mother’s health care. He<br />
presented proof that his instructions in restoring his mother’s health<br />
was ignored by the doctor and Desert Spring Hospital.<br />
The doctor, without any discussion with the son, ordered a Do-Not-<br />
Resuscitate (DNR) for his mother. Another doctor at Desert Springs<br />
even made a statement (in front of witnesses!) that the mother was<br />
using too much oxygen and they should “Just let her die.” With<br />
medication and proper care withheld, she did die.<br />
As I look into these health care facilities, it seems like seniors are now<br />
expendable, with no concern for whatever years they have left. “Just let<br />
her die” seems to be the new mantra.<br />
Apparently, I am not the only one who believes we seniors seem to<br />
be irrelevant to the health care community. In the December 22 issue<br />
of AARP Magazine there is a feature<br />
story - “When Ageism Kills, Texas Elder<br />
Murders.” It’s good (but terrifying)<br />
reading.<br />
As I wrote before, the only way that<br />
we can change this narrative is if we do<br />
so ourselves. And if you have your own<br />
similar story, please contact me.<br />
*February stars the Nevada Legislature<br />
20<strong>23</strong> session and we will be taking the<br />
Final Wishes petitions signed by all to lobby for that bill.<br />
If you have not signed it and believe that Nevada should follow the<br />
other states who have passed laws allowing those with terminal illness<br />
to end their lives with dignity, please either mail and return the below<br />
petition or fill it out online at our website: thevegasvoice.net.<br />
We will have more info in the February <strong>edition</strong> and will start our<br />
“age-qualified community” presentations around the Valley<br />
8<br />
January 20<strong>23</strong><br />
Guardianship/Final Wishes Presentation<br />
The Vegas Voice will, once again, provide its FREE guardianship<br />
update and seminar on Monday, February 20, 20<strong>23</strong>, at 2 pm. The event,<br />
sponsored by Sun City MacDonald Ranch is the (finally) simple “ounce<br />
of prevention” guaranteed to forever protect yourself, loved ones, friends,<br />
and neighbors from ever being a victim of the guardianship scandal.<br />
Led by political editor Rana Goodman & publisher Dan Roberts,<br />
discussions will include the guardianship reforms accomplished over the<br />
past years, information concerning the Nevada Secretary of State Lockbox<br />
protections as well as providing the “Guardianship Nomination Form.”<br />
AND there will be a discussion and petition drive for our latest initiative<br />
– Final Wishes/Death With Dignity legislation to be passed into law. We<br />
will likewise have the latest information and updates.<br />
The presentation is open to everyone but due to space restrictions, you<br />
must RSVP. To do so, go to the Sun City MacDonald Ranch front desk or<br />
call The Vegas Voice 702/251-4441.
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