Americans are uncomfortable these days with end-of life discussions especially when they are coming from our government. Now there is an end of life planning guide provided to veterans called ‘Your Life Your Choices’ — also called the VA Death Book — that is causing heartburn for Barack Obama’s administration. Read more below, see photo and video.
Is ‘Your Life, Your Choices’ a death book for Vets?
Are veterans being urged to die? Are they being told they are a burden to society? Apparently, a guide for veterans’ end-of-life care called “Your Life Your Choices,” was suspended under the Bush administration for just those very concerns. Some even went so far as to call this guide “a death book” for vets! But, now, this veterans’ end of life guide been revived and is promoted throughout the VA’s vast network of hospitals and nursing homes by the current Department of Veterans Affairs. With ‘death panels’ still a fresh memory, this end of life planning guide is once again raising a lot of questions with the potential of congressional hearings in the works.
The author of “Your Life Your Choices” is Dr. Robert Pearlman, a man who in 1996 advocated for physician-assisted suicide in Vacco v. Quill before the U.S. Supreme Court and is known for his support of health-care rationing.
According to Jim Towey, the former director of the White House Office of Faith-Based Initiatives under President Bush, the 52-page booklet end of life planning document written by Dr. Pearlman makes injured veterans feel like a burden, encourages the severely injured to die and shouldn’t be anywhere near our veterans — especially those coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with catastrophic injuries.
Towey says that “Your Life Your Choices” presents end-of-life choices in a way aimed at steering users toward predetermined conclusions, much like a political “push poll” would do. For example, a worksheet on page 21 of the so-called “death book for vets” lists various scenarios and asks users to then decide whether their own life would be “not worth living.”
Some of the physical circumstances listed in the vet’s end of life guide include ones that are quite common among our elderly and disabled such as: living in a nursing home, being in a wheelchair and not being able to “shake the blues.”
And get this: there is a section which provocatively asks, “Have you ever heard anyone say, ‘If I’m a vegetable, pull the plug’?” I think I may have even said that myself but I would kill my family if they actually did it!
And there are also some lovely guilt-inducing scenarios such as “I can no longer contribute to my family’s well being,” “I am a severe financial burden on my family” and that heartwarming one of “my situation causes severe emotional burden for my family.”
Geez.
But Tammy Duckworth, an injured veteran of Iraq herself and the assistant secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Obama’s administration, said the “Your Life Your Choices” death book for vets end of life planning guide is still under revision — as stated in a disclaimer on the official Web site — and has not officially been “reinstated.” She calls this veteran’s end of life guide one of many options for injured veterans and “simply a tool.”
“This ultimately is about the … health care for veterans,” Duckworth said
Hmm. This sounds so familiar. Where have we heard all of this before?
The bottom line is this: Yes, there is an undeniable slippery slope factor here. But there are no shortages of end-of-life care literature available from the private sector as well as government agencies. You can find the veteran’s end-of-life guide “Your Life Your Choices” here. Death book for Vets? Read the booklet yourself, and make up your own mind. I’ve made up mine.
Veteran’s End of Life Guide: ‘Your Life Your Choices’ Death Book for Vets? Video
August 24th, 2009 at 2:00 am
Gives a whole new meaning to the term, “Dying for one’s country.”
It is becoming sickeningly clear that liberals see the working class as mere tools to be used until they are no longer productive and then disposed of.
The Naz1s had a similar program called the T-4 movement which I’ve linked. But even they didn’t kill their war heroes.
http://www.shoaheducation.com/t4.html
August 24th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Mr Bush, Texas Conservatives, and A.G. John Cornyn had no qualms in 1999 about ending peoples lives.
“The Texas Advance Directives Act (1999), also known as the Texas Futile Care Law”
“…Section 166.046, Subsection (e), which allows a health care facility to discontinue life-sustaining treatment against the wishes of the patient or guardian ten days after giving written notice if the continuation of life-sustaining treatment is considered medically inappropriate by the treating medical team….”
August 24th, 2009 at 5:44 am
Donaldd, you failed to point out that “The Texas Advance Directives Act” was loaded with options for the family.
1. The family must be given written information concerning hospital policy on the ethics consultation process.
2. The family must be given 48 hours’ notice and be invited to participate in the ethics consultation process. Family members may consult their own medical specialists and legal advisors if they wish.
3.The ethics consultation process must provide a written report to the family of the findings of the ethics review process.
4.If the ethics consultation process fails to resolve the dispute, the hospital, working with the family, must try to arrange transfer to another provider physician and institution who are willing to give the treatment requested by the family and refused by the current treatment team.
5. If after 10 days, no such provider can be found, the hospital and physician may unilaterally withhold or withdraw the therapy that has been determined to be futile.
6. The party who disagrees may appeal to the relevant state court and ask the judge to grant an extension of time before treatment is withdrawn. This extension is to be granted only if the judge determines that there is a reasonable likelihood of finding a willing provider of the disputed treatment if more time is granted.
7. If either the family does not seek an extension or the judge fails to grant one, futile treatment may be unilaterally withdrawn by the treatment team with immunity from civil or criminal prosecution.
It appears that since only the family and not the patient are involved in the consultations, then the patient is incapacitated, ie. brain dead, coma and there is no hope that the condition could be improved.
This is a far cry from pushing wounded veterans to “take a pill” for their country or withholding care from the elderly for the sole reason that they are burdens and no longer productive members of society.
This was a terrible analogy obviously used to take a backhanded swipe at President Bush. Obama is the president now and I’d advise you to look ahead. You can be blind-sided looking back all the time.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:04 am
Bush may have suspended this book, but he personally assisted in the deaths of thousands of military servicemen and women by invading a country that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11, other than the fact that it’s swimming in oil.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:46 am
well, I’m on the wrong side of this issue. When I saw this interview yesterday, it seemed that towey’s goal was to get his book to be offered by the feds, as well as the one that they have had available.
When he said that nobody should ever use the term vegetable when referring to vets, he’s absolutely right. However, in our family’s case, when a soldier returned from iraq severely injured, he spent the first month or so saying he was a vegetable because he had lost his legs. But his wife and our family never considered putting him down, it was a phrase that depressed people use. I don’t think that an answer of yes to that question was a trigger to kill the person.
The problem I have with this issue is we’re winning on virtually every issue imaginable, and the other one’s we’re gaining a lot of ground. So what does the party do? Decide to go back and re-schiavo the political agenda.
If we think end of life counseling is immoral and should be illegal in all cases, say it. If we think the state and fed govt should never be involved with it, say it. But it’s a loser issue in most parts of the country, I think.
August 24th, 2009 at 6:58 am
If this isn’t the beginning of death panels or rationing then what the hell do you call it? Pretty crappy urging vets who have done 3, 4, or 5 tours fighting for this country to consider ending their lives if they feel they are a financial burden, disabled or depressed.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Hey Klo-less, I see you passed your Talking Points 101 course. Now hide the transcripts!
The Iraqis control their own oil fields and issues all contracts. The U.S. does not control Iraqi oil.
Now let me get this straight Krazy Kat, you lament Bush assisting in getting soldiers killed, but no word about Obama trying to finish the survivors off.
Curious!!!
August 24th, 2009 at 7:09 am
re 5, what would you have the va counselor do? If a disabled vet said he feels like a vegetable, what should the counselor do? Tell him that isnt part of his job and to go see a priest?
August 24th, 2009 at 7:42 am
The VA also provides Chaplains and Phsychiatric services. This book is being promoted for the purpose of planting a seed.
Call the suicide hotline one time and tell them you’re depressed. They will do anything to persuade you that life is worth living no matter the situation. They won’t offer you suggestions to off yourself.
August 24th, 2009 at 7:55 am
do you really believe that that is what the va is doing, offering suggestions on ways to commit suicide? really? You understand that what this guy is talking about were the regs under bush, right. This guy is just trying to scare people and make a ton of money from his pamphlet.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:05 am
These were not the regs under Bush arriba. Bush suspended the use of the book. It was revived under Obama.
If you read the article, the book nudges disabled vets to consider not receiving treatment and accept whatever happens.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:06 am
hey ron, if we did a right money/investing, would you contribute headline posts ?
August 24th, 2009 at 8:22 am
fm, I’m not sure what article you’re talking about. Here’s a section of the op-ed that towey wrote in the wsj:
I was not surprised to learn that the VA panel of experts that sought to update “Your Life, Your Choices” between 2007-2008 did not include any representatives of faith groups or disability rights advocates. And as you might guess, only one organization was listed in the new version as a resource on advance directives: the Hemlock Society (now euphemistically known as “Compassion and Choices”).
When I watched the wallace interview yesterday, the regs were put into place in 98, unless I misheard it, which is entirely possible. Unfortunately, I’ve erased it from my tivo.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:24 am
timv, I’m not confident that I’m knowlegeable enough. I’d be willing to make a contribution weekly explaining what my decision-making process is, and the stocks that are indicated as buys that week tho, if that has any value.
August 24th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but this is a book, right? Information provided voluntarily for the purpose of voluntary consumption? As I understand it, nobody is being compelled or required to feel, think, or act in any certain way.
So it’s just information. If it’s crap information, fine; what more would we expect from the government to begin with? But absent any actual requirements or procedures derived directly from the book (again, I see no evidence of that here), I don’t see why this is so sinister.
Towey’s argument seems to boil down to the idea that the sorts of topics discussed are insulting and disrespectful to vets. Again though, if nobody is being compelled to do anything — if they can just toss this thing in the trash and forget about it — I really don’t see the problem. I suppose the only concern would be what sort of government resources were used to provide this information, but I don’t see any info on that above.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:59 am
“Bush may have suspended this book, but he personally assisted in the deaths of thousands of military servicemen and women by invading a country that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11,”
Its a stupid fake argument.
No one ever said Iraq had anything to do with 911 except for a couple murmurs about some training for Al Queda going on inside Iraq.
We invaded Iraq for a host of ulterior purposes, the main one being that after 911 we werent going to wait and let a clear and present danger like Al Queda attack us. For at least a decade Saddam gave every impression that he would be willing to harm America. Clinton ignored Al Queda for the better part of ten years, did little against attacks on our soil, look what happened.
Hang on to that one KLO so we dont have to keep listening to your old worn out regurgitated dem talking points
August 24th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Rhayader.
It seems Obamas willing to do anything to cut costs so as to get his care plan in action.
Its not so much whether we have the choice to read it or not as it is the message thats being sent when the one paying for the plan makes suggestions for end of life treatments.
Its simply more advantageous for the government to end extensive care so they can save a buck. Its that simple.
So yeah, its creepy when the ones issuing the policy are discusssing your end of life terms.
Is it the money or your compfort that they’ve got in their best interest ?
Its all kind of suggestive and sublime in a way, dontcha think ?
August 24th, 2009 at 10:12 am
What’s up Micky.
I dunno, I guess you give more weight to government-supplied information than I do.
If I were at a point in my life where end-of-life planning were a necessity, the last thing I would do would be to read a government pamphlet, accept every word in it as gospel, and act accordingly. I would be researching online, contacting businesses, and generally weighing all of the different options I could learn about.
For this stuff to have any tangible threat, some sort of policy would need to be tied to it. Otherwise, it’s just information that we are free to discard if we so choose.
It seems Obamas willing to do anything to cut costs so as to get his care plan in action.
Yeah see, I guess that’s where I am ultimately missing something. How does the mere act of providing information further his health care agenda?
August 24th, 2009 at 10:37 am
let’s assume for the sake of argument that this is an evil plot on the part of the govt to kill innocent disabled soldiers, much as the death panels was an evil plot to kill the elderly in order to save money.
Well, nobody here will fall for it, right? Nobody who gets their info from talk radio or fox will buy it, right? So, the only people bho would be killing are dem voters. Well, that makes a ton of sense.
It used to be the dems who would think up scary stories because their voters were so easy to frighten because they didnt have the intelligence to deal. I just hate that this is what we’re doing.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Sure, no one is forced to read this book.
But with that you ask yourself what would it cause those to do that do read it ? Why print it ?
Why are those that are directly involved with maintaining costs and function choosing to provoke thought amongst its customers in this area ?
For this section/dept whatever you want to call it to present this scenario of choices I think is distasteful to say the least.
When its common knowledge that these programs are strapped for cash I think its hardly cool for them to printing up anything that sugests one choice or another.
Are there private policies offering the same “end of life” counseling services ? Yeah. I think they all do. But they dont circulate material that seems to have the purpose this book does.
Its not really the “government supplied info” thats the issue here.
Its more about the subliminal messaging this book sends in the hopes that more people will opt for the less expensive choice which is to deny treatment, dont resuscitate, just go with the pain meds.
These choices should be offered. Any company worth its weight would.
But its just not cool when the government is behind it.
You start getting into some really dangerous turf when the fed is talking end of life terms
August 24th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Why are those that are directly involved with maintaining costs and function choosing to provoke thought amongst its customers in this area ?
Are they though? If there’s one thing we know about our government, it’s that the left hand has no clue what the right hand is doing. I don’t really see any direct connection to Obama here; it seems like something completely internal to the VA.
think its hardly cool for them to printing up anything that sugests one choice or another.
I don’t know enough about the actual wording to say whether it does or not. My guess is that there are several options discussed with equal weight. From what I can tell, it’s only Towey’s opinion that “‘Your Life, Your Choices’ presents end-of-life choices in a way aimed at steering users toward predetermined conclusions, much like a political ‘push poll.’” That’s quite an implication, and I haven’t seen anything to support it.
Also, the document seems aimed at helping vets learn “how to prepare a personalized living will”. I don’t see any sinister implications in that; just an offering of services that can be used or ignored at will.
Its more about the subliminal messaging this book sends in the hopes that more people will opt for the less expensive choice which is to deny treatment, dont resuscitate, just go with the pain meds.
Yeah again, I’m not really convinced that’s the central mission of this book. It seems to me that Towey cherry-picked a couple passages that were part of a 52-page document. I can’t say for sure it’s not the ultimate purpose of the book, but I have no context to make that call.
August 24th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
The government regardless of what you think the context is, who wrote it or why should not be approaching anything like this in any publication because it looks like its hinting at eugenics.
Its that simple.
“Also, the document seems aimed at helping vets learn “how to prepare a personalized living will”.”
Thats another thing that the fed should have absolutely no business involving themselves in
August 24th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Micky, what is real sad is that at least some large portion of the population think it’s entirely proper for the Federal government to involve themselves in “end of life counseling” and “how to prepare a personalized living will”. Please, someone point to a single founder who would approve of such action by a centralized government? This is exactly why the original Articles of Confederation were so weak, the founders had inherent distrust of any central government because they know no bound and only seek to expand their powers and control. If any of you folks think the federal government cares about you or your situation, be it your job, your health or your family, you are mistaken. The more control you give, the more personally lose.
August 24th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Yes, its sad that people become so faithful due only to because they want to sell out resposibility and individualism.
“If getting my freebeees means you the fed gets to call these kinds of shots then so be it”
Its especially scary when you look at the surrounding actions being taken by this administration and then add them to the potential this material offers
Attempting to move the census to the White House.
All the little volunteer based programs trying to be established.
The fed having more and more access to personal info.
These are all perfect ingredients needed to establish a “selection committee”, if you know what I mean
I’ve got two words.
Logans Run.
August 24th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Heh, Logan’s run, one of my favorite movies as a kid, probably due to the fact that it was the first movie in which I saw naked women.