i'm a nurse and i have a patient was involved in the bad end of a hit and run. it's very tragic. he is illegal and in fact had a fake ID, it took a month long police investigation to determine who he is. it was discovered he's here illegally from mexico and has a completely different name. this patient is pretty much being kept alive by machines, no family to make a decision as to what to do in regards to his care. he cannot be transported back to mexico, it would be impossible due to cost (to us, meaning you the taxpayer), and the nature of the injuries he sustained. long term care facilities such as a nursing home refuse illegals, understandably. the end result is that he stays stuck in the hospital indefinitely, being kept alive with tube feedings, ventilator, expensive meds and we all pay the bill. please do not think i'm not compassionate, i care for him a great deal as a patient and it's very sad. but what do we do about this...? it happens a lot.
2006-10-23 17:23:01 · 14 answers · asked by verykari♥ 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
excellent points RAWR and UNITED WE STAND, however it is illegal to stop feedings, ventialtor, meds, etc. even if they are illegal (don't you love the irony?) only a family member can make the decision to cease care in that type of situation. hospitals are required by law to provide care to any and all. hence, the conundrum..
2006-10-23 17:38:32 · update #1
i am not "skimming" any HIPAA regulations whatsoever, i take my job seriously...
2006-10-23 17:43:33 · update #2
violating patient confidentiality requires release of confidential patient information which did not happen here..this i know well! thanks for answering the question though
2006-10-23 17:54:46 · update #3
ok FOX, i see your point and i meet you halfway. the reason i talked about it though is because this a debilitating, serious problem in this country and we need to be talking about it. not at the expense of another person, but i don't feel that happened. thanks for the debate
2006-10-23 18:17:34 · update #4
I have great respect for anyone in the healthcare professions, my sister is a nurse and deals with psychiatric care....There are no easy answers.....The only thing I can say is, he deserves dignity and to be treated humanely as any human being would, in that situation....
2006-10-23 17:34:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 3⤋
It's a bad situation. You can't put him on DNR because he hasn't requested it, our laws won't allow us to humanely put him to 'sleep' and he has no family to ask what their wants are. If we could, the USA should make Mexico (the govt. there) foot the bill for his care. I don't see THAT happening. So there you go, more taxes spent on illegals who never should have entered our country to start with.
Our government could come in and have the machines turned off or tube feedings stopped as in the Shivo case. Why should "he" stay alive if she wasn't allowed to be kept on the machines even though she HAD parents wanting 'HER" kept alive? He doesn't even have family here to try to stop the USA from stopping his feeding tubes. He shouldn't have any more right than Terry did. Then again, it was her husband requesting the tube feedings to be stopped, the govt. upheld his wishes. Still need a family member to request it. Back to my first paragraph.
No HIPAA laws were violated by the questioner, no personal info was given out.
2006-10-24 00:33:32 · answer #2 · answered by «»RUBY«» 4 · 3⤊ 4⤋
Americans shouldn't be babysitting and taking care of illegal aliens' problems. The good, BAD, and ugly from Mexico come here, unload all their problems on us, and expect tax payers to support them and pay for their huge hospital bills. Not to mention the massive amounts of drugs being smuggled here ILLEGALLY from Mexico too. What's stopping Al-Qaeda from smuggling bombs here? Nothing is! Close the friggin' border already! Did all common sense go right out the window or something? Every other country around the world puts up it's own borders, but nooooo not us, we might "offend" people that come here illegally if we put up a border. It's funny when I get called a "racist" for wanting a border put up to keep illegal aliens out. I have nothing against Mexicans, but SAFETY should be number 1, and leaving our border open for EVERYONE is clearly inviting trouble in from other countries who want to kill us.
2006-10-24 00:41:19 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 3⤋
I do not wish to sound un-compassionate either & no one deserves death.
But do you know what ? This could have been a totally different situation if he was a legal citizen, he could have family, who are to afraid to see him because they fear the law will deport them.
In my opinion ( as my mother was also a nurse) what should happen is a board of doctors, psychiatrists and a few other related professions, Evalutae if this man can survive without the machines, if he is on life support, It should be a decision on wether to turn it off or not,
He should be treated like every other human being, his condition should be assessed, But if that ever hit the press i am sure it would be made a huge deal of, saying that the hospital were inhumane to him.
2006-10-24 00:27:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 5⤋
How about paying for all of the hospital healthcare for illegals out of the salaries of our administration and congress. (both parties). It might mean a little more to them then.
2006-10-24 00:48:14 · answer #5 · answered by dano 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
First, you are skimming that HIPAA law health care providers are suppose to follow. Second, JACHO ensures that all people get medical treatment, as you know. I, being a taxpayer am against it, but it is the law that all patients are treated. Law enforcement can not do anything about it. If the patient becomes conscious, then they are free to go, and yes the taxpayers eat those costs. Tell that to anyone who supports amnesty, they will tell you that we should not have borders. I disagree, but I firmly support saving peoples lives, illegal or not. I will vote this November against illegal aliens getting amnesty and that our borders get secured (Southern border first).
2006-10-24 00:36:21 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 5⤋
Why would you not want people to think you are compassionate??? Your question just seriously teared me up!!! I think that is terrible...He is a human being and deserves to have the best care possible...even if that means...he is in hospital care for the rest of his life...at least he is alive! Anyone that would complain about this needs to go sc**w themselves!
2006-10-24 00:35:22 · answer #7 · answered by ?rukkaloca24? 3 · 2⤊ 3⤋
I think that's very sad. I don't think any illegal should be kept from getting medical treatment, but I don't think it's fair for the taxpayers who have to "pay" for this person to stay alive when he's not a citizen. I think after an illegal gets medical treatment they should have to stay and work until they've paid off their own bills.
If he's not alive and talking, why keep him alive in the first place? I wouldn't want to be a vegetable the rest of my life. I'm not being uncompassionate or whatever, but I don't see the point in wasting our tax dollars on a foreigner who's not supposed to be here.
2006-10-24 00:32:55 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 6⤋
This is a catch 22. There is no way out.
2006-10-24 03:42:44 · answer #9 · answered by eva b 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Post this question again. I need time to think about the problem. May take a couple of months for me to come to some solution, or longer, as their are more than two sides to this issue.
2006-10-24 00:37:52 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋