Quad City Right To Life has developed a durable power of attorney for health care to protect a patient’s right to receive medical care, nutrition and hydration.
QCRTL director Bowman said the form is being offered in the wake of the Terri Schiavo case.
“One week ago, Terri Schiavo lost her life. Her death was not about end-of-life care, it was about putting an end to a life.”
The group’s form will specify that a patient must receive medical care and that nutrition/ hydration cannot be withheld “unless death is inevitable & imminent”.
“Unfortunately, all living wills and most widely-available durable powers of attorney, the two kinds of advance directives, are slanted towards death, directing that food and water be removed from a patient simply because he or she has suffered brain damage and is not likely to recover,” Bowman said.
Quad City Right To Life, 1530 State St., Suite 4, in Bettendorf; (563) 324-0035.
The Intl Anti-Euthanasia Task Force also has Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care forms – http://www.internationaltaskforce.org/ 740-282-3810.
The International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force is now termed Patients Rights Council.
[Janeé Jackson, BETTENDORF [email protected]; N Valko RN, 7Apr05]