Another quote from the article below -
Nowhere is this taking of responsibility more important than at the end of life. In terms of health costs, our final year of life is our most expensive. Almost all of this expense is in the last few weeks. Dying in an ICU costs more than most of us have ever paid in contributions to the Medicare levy. Nor is it a particularly pleasant experience. Evidence suggests that as many as half the people admitted to an ICU at the end of life would have chosen otherwise had they been given the choice.
It seems a crazy waste of money, don't you think? Perhaps we need to move back toward a culture of dying at home rather than dying in hospital. In your own bed, surrounded by family, perhaps with a daily visit from a palliative care specialist.
Regardless, some very hard questions need to be asked of health care, and some unpleasant decisions need to be made...
Nowhere is this taking of responsibility more important than at the end of life. In terms of health costs, our final year of life is our most expensive. Almost all of this expense is in the last few weeks. Dying in an ICU costs more than most of us have ever paid in contributions to the Medicare levy. Nor is it a particularly pleasant experience. Evidence suggests that as many as half the people admitted to an ICU at the end of life would have chosen otherwise had they been given the choice.
It seems a crazy waste of money, don't you think? Perhaps we need to move back toward a culture of dying at home rather than dying in hospital. In your own bed, surrounded by family, perhaps with a daily visit from a palliative care specialist.
Regardless, some very hard questions need to be asked of health care, and some unpleasant decisions need to be made...