Should we cut off support for older patients?

“Packing my bags, writing my last will and testament, building up my supply of pain killers! Why you ask? Haven’t you heard, breaking news today, a leading doctor who actually brought in the Intensive Care Units system has now come to the decision that anyone over 65 should have the plug pulled as they are not worth saving, owing to the the costs involved.”  Wrote Judith Baker on our Facebook wall…

Sadly she was not joking.

She was writing in response to an outpouring by emergency medicine specialist and outgoing director of St Vincents Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit in Sydney, Bob Wright AM who said “Older patients are being treated more intensively and expensively than ever before and sometimes you wonder whether it is the right thing”.

He has sparked nationwide debate about whether we should be listening to his advice and questioning whether it is worthwhile spending the time, effort and resources to support people medically who might one day die… I mean how absurd is this guy’s comments.  Since when did anyone in our country get to play god with the medical system and get away with it? (we eventually arrested Jayant Patel!).

“You can take someone who is young and dying and bring them back to life and then you’ve got someone who can live another 40, 50, 60 years,” he said…

To me this implies that he thinks people his own age are beyond value?

My Grandfather, when he was 65, more than thirty years ago, had his first round of open heart surgery after a triple bypass uncovered that his heart valve wasn’t working very well.  He had a second open heart surgery at 74 and a valve replacement – yes – open heart surgery 25 years ago and it succeeded!  He went on to live until he was 92.  I for one am very grateful for the medical care he received, and the intensity of care he received.

Judith Baker, a member of the Starts at 60 community went on to say what many of us are thinking…

“The mind boggles at the amount of treachery that could be manipulated by both the medical profession and persuasive relatives. That would wipe out most of my friends on Face Book and Starts at 60.   Raising the pension age to 70, is apparently not enough, now they have the chance to wipe out over half the over 65’s, thus saving millions on aged care and improving the standard of life in Australia for the young and the beautiful…”

So today, I want to hear your feedback on this… Should we look to save money by not treating people if they show signs of a life threatening illness over 65… Is that really how our society should operate?