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About 6,500 people die in
the U.S. every day. Fewer than 1,200 die at home, among loved
ones, free of pain. |
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Half of people who die in
hospitals endure severe untreated pain. |
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More than 70 percent of
doctors do not check to see if a patient has end-of-life care
instructions in place. |
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Residents in one-third of
nursing homes were abused in 2003. Thousands of residents were
strapped down involuntarily. One quarter of homes failed to
provide adequate food. |
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Health expenses are the
nation’s leading cause of personal bankruptcy, even among people
with insurance. Medical care for dying spouses is one of the fastest
growing causes of impoverishment among elderly women. |
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End-of-life care that
focuses on pain control and patient comfort costs less than half
of normal medical interventions for similar patients. |
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People whose loved ones
die after receiving good end-of-life care are far less likely to
die themselves in the following 18 months. |
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Only five U.S. medical
schools require students to take a course on care of the dying.
Less than three percent of medical textbook pages cover this
topic. |
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Federal laws for
end-of-life care have not changed much since Ronald Reagan was
president. In that time causes of death have shifted
dramatically. Deaths from heart attacks fell 61 percent, stroke
fatalities 71 percent and deaths from accidents 36 percent.
Meanwhile cancer deaths rose 22 percent, chronic respiratory
disease 77 percent and Alzheimer’s disease 100 percent. |