>Caring for Our Parents

>The President’s Bioethics Council has called for more study on the care of our elderly. Since so many of us have hope of becoming elderly – and because we Boomers (ok, I’m a couple of years behind the official “Boomers” group) will make such a large impact, I agree that the issue disserves study.

I would hope that any advisory group would be made up of men and women who hold to the medical charge to “First, do no harm.”

The US Supreme Court hearing on the Oregon euthanasia law (or perhaps, “self-elimination and determination” is a better name – but “Physician Assisted Suicide is an oxymoron) should be reason enough to alert all of us to the dangers of having the wrong leaders and advisors.

We should *cure* when possible – not control.

We should never act to prolong life by invasive means when it is an assault to the patient.

But it is always an assault to act with the intention or a reasonable expectation of killing.