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In Reply To: Palliative care for Catholics
Next Reply: Re:Re:Palliative care for Catholics
Next Message: Re:Palliative care for Catholics

Post Re:Palliative care for Catholics
Author: bloominjudy
Date: Oct 5, 2007 11:15 am
As a CAtholic nurse, I teach the following:
Nutrition and hydration is appropriate for palliative care except when the body can no longer utilize the substances, such as the dying process. The church does not mandate a feeding tube for patients with dementia, when the burden outweighs the benefits. Patients with ALS and other diseases that require a tube feed to live can make a decision, if competent, to NOT have the tube placed. The part that has been reiterated by the Vatican is in the case of a disabled person, such as one with PVS, who is NOT actively dying. In those cases, nutrition and hydration is considered an ordinary intervention, because to d/c it results in the starvation/dehydration death of the patient directly by omission of the substances. Hope that helps.
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Re:Re:Palliative care for Catholics (by DharmaDoc on 02/11/2010)
I practice at a Catholic hospital. My understanding is that artificial nutrition & hydration (ANH) is not REQUIRED for anyone, including those in PVS, because every patient with capacity has the right to refuse treatment. In other words, Catholic teaching does not support forced feeding. Instead, in the absence of advance directives, the presumption is that ANH should be provided to patients with PVS as long as the burdens do not outweigh the benefits.

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