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Health

is it worth it?

(31 Posts)
Morgana Sat 29-Apr-17 14:50:27

After yesterday's report in the news, I am wondering how GNers feel about the millions of pounds being spent on keeping someone alive for an extra three months?

Caro1954 Mon 01-May-17 22:10:09

What a huge variety of posts and opinions. I found reading these opinions really helpful in working out how I felt and in informing my ignorance - I had never heard of hospice support at home. As someone said, one size doesn't fit all and I hope when the time comes I will be able to decide what's best for me. My DH and I have LPAs. Does anyone worry these might prove to be burdensome to our children/whoever has power of attorney? That has just occurred to me reading these posts.

Aslemma Tue 02-May-17 01:09:14

It is far more burdensome for your children if you don't have LPAs, both for financial matters and for health/life matters etc. Once they have been set up you can forget about them and simply get om with your life, knowing that your family (or friends) can deal with whatever may become necessary., whilst still hoping to die of old age in your bed without either of the LPAs needing to be invoked.

BlueBelle Tue 02-May-17 07:10:15

Christinefrance as a Nan to two grandkids who saw their dad die from cancer at ages 4 and 6, I can truely say three months is not a figure needed.....the children can be prepared can be helped over ANY period and they will still grieve as their individual personalities allow them to, if someone is given a terminal prognosis there is normally a few months between this and their death it would be rare to die the next day .......Indeed imagine how you 'prepare' a child for their parents immediate death by accident or war
A parents death is the biggest trauma a child will ever have nothing else can compare and whether it's one week or three months the work done with the child is crucial.......life and death has to be dictated by the disease/accident a lot of expense to stall it by a few weeks should not be necessary

Christinefrance Tue 02-May-17 08:31:50

BlueBelle this is such a sensitive subject and each family so different I don't want to decry any point of view. My family were in exactly the same position as yours and it was traumatic. I hope you and your family found peace as mine did.

Caro1954 Tue 02-May-17 08:50:01

Thankyou, Aslemma, for that reassurance. What you suggested is what I have been doing since the LPAs were set up but somehow, reading all the posts, I had doubts. But you're absolutely right, I'll stop worrying!