can a dr/hospital refuse treatment on a patient with severe copd it they still keep smoking?

Question

last year my mam was diagnosed with copd had been on life support etc in 3 hospitals and it all came out of the blue,all credit for medical staff, she stopped smoking for seven months then started again had a bad chest infection not long since once again landed in critical care,she has started to smoke again there seems nothing i can say to get her to stop so my question is if someone has been told to stop and they still dont after all that can they stop future treatment as she is not helping herself any advice would be much appreciated thanks

Answer 1

A Doctor has the right to refuse treatment if the patient will not make any effort to help themselves! This applies across the board not just with smoking. Unfortunately after treatment some people revert back to previous habits that contributed to their problems and then I can see why Doctors would refuse certain treatments. They will use the resouces they have on other patients who are trying harder to get well. Tell her, she really is in danger of being refused treatment other than the basic life-saving treatment which No Doctor or Hospital would refuse but if she is smoking she is going to need more than that treatment sooner rather than later.
I find it hard to understand how she could still smoke after what has happened.

Answer 2

A doctor can refuse to treat a patient anytime if the patient is refusing to follow their advice.

A hospital often cannot make the same refusal, due to laws about emergency care. They simply HAVE to treat them, unless it is a private hospital. They still are required by law to stabilize the patient while in an emergent state, though.

If a COPD patient won't stop smoking, there isn't much you can do. The smoking probably put them in this situation, and many patients will go into denial about it being the cause. They simply don't want to quit.

You can keep stealing their cigarettes, and keep on them about it, but they are an adult, and they can darn well smoke themselves to death if that is what they want to do. And sadly, that is what many of them want to do.

Answer 3

Her doctor can "fire" her as a patient. This is done with a letter to the patient, advising them of the reason (most doctors do this only if the patient has become a threat to staff). The letter also states that you can be seen for 30 days while you find a new doctor. The HOSPITALS cannot refuse treatment if you are in medical distress. But, if the doctors are making rounds & she is outside smoking, they only have to notate that in the chart & keep going. Most doctors will look for her once more before doing this.

Her actions are "AMA". Against medical advice which means that while the medical staff will still try to help her, she is doing something that is preventing them from giving her the best care she could be getting.

Answer 4

A hospital can turn way any non-medical emergency. This is unfortunate...but true. Hospitals are required to stabilize an emergency patient, but do have the right to turn away non-emergency. There are a couple of caveats...if the hospital is in a rural area and not other equal treatment is available. If you are having an issue, I would really consider legal action if there is no other way to treat your mom. If it is possible to go to another hospital, I would try that route. Do you really want someone treating you that doesn't want to treat you? Doesn't sound like the best of care situations.
On the other side of the coin. Please try your best to force your Mom to stop smoking. I understand how difficult a lifetime addiction can be to give up, but try to talk about the extension her life and the happiness she can still bring her family...

Answer 5

Doctors/hospitals can deny treatment for any justifiable grounds. For example the long terms effects are not sufficient. They could give her the best treatment available from the best doctors, but if she chooses to smoke it could all be in vain. They may decide the money is better spent on someone willing to do what it takes to get better.

I don't want to offend you but your mum clearly needs a wake up call, if being severly ill is not a good enough reason to stop smoking then what is?

Answer 6

An insurance company can refuse to insure her if she continues to smoke. Without insurance, a family doctor will not be paid and can limit treatment and refuse. Emergency hospitals and personnel CANNOT refuse treatment. Therefore, if your family doctor refused, she can always go to emergency. But the bills will be over the roof.

Answer 7

My question would be to your mum's doctor: Why have you not given her all the help and support to give up smoking. It's not that easy for everyone, we are all different. They can't refuse her treatment, however, if her life is in such danger due to smoking they have to do something to get her to quit forever.

Answer 8

No, no, no, no, no. They cannot refuse her treatment. They won't allow her to smoke at the hospital, of course. But they will treat her. Will they be frustrated? Yes. But it won't affect her care. They will still talk to her about not smoking, but if she won't quit, she will die. Sooner rather than later. They will do everything they can for her.

Answer 9

A person can't quit unless they want to

You have to get it thru her head that she needs to quit

Maybe Take a picture of yourself and other siblings/pets Place
it in the glassine on the Cig package with a little note "let them live"

One that you don't want to hear, A gal in my town lite one up too close to her oxygen She burned to death



Only thing I have heard about refused care and smoking is lung transplants in the UK you must sign an agreement to stop smoking

Answer 10

its a tough one but here in oz they are starting to say that elective surgery can be refused to someone who doenst give up smoking the jury is still out on it though...i think it depends if you were waiting a lung transplant you wouldnt want to destroy a gift like that by continuing to smoke ..but having been a smoker for 20 yesra (12 months clean) i also know how hard it is to stop especially when under stress