Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Pennsylvania: When a Guardian Decides on Life or Death

In May, Garry McGrath said, he and the staff of his Washington County personal-care home pleaded with 47-year-old Bonita Carter to continue having life-sustaining dialysis.

But Carter, who had a mental illness in addition to renal disease and frequently believed dialysis was a ploy, refused.

Carter died June 1, but a disagreement over her care continues. Mr. McGrath demanded that the state review Carter's death, saying her court-appointed guardian, Distinctive Human Services of Cambria County, agreed to let her cease treatment when it should have worked harder to keep her alive.

"This is about a human life that was terminated prematurely," he said in a Dec. 20 email to Mark Knouse, special adviser to Public Welfare Secretary Beverly Mackereth. When Carter consented to dialysis, Mr. McGrath said, she was energetic enough to walk into town a mile away.

Carter's story is a window on the complex interplay of physical- and mental-health care and on the challenges of guardianship, which can involve making life-or-death decisions for people unable to look after themselves. Kim Grier, president of the Centre County-based National Guardianship Association, said guardians can do only so much when clients refuse care.

"Guardianship does not give the guardian the authority to force somebody to do something they don't want to do," she said. "Guardianship does not remove free will from a person."

Full Article and Source:
When a Guardian Decides on Life or Death

5 comments:

  1. DianeTuesday, February 04, 2014 4:12:00 AM

    I must say I am a little miffed with NGO Kim Grier for stating that a guardian can only do so much. They have complete control over some ones life and assets. Someone needs to show Ms. Grier a few guardianship cases like the professional Jetta Getty, Mary Giordano, Deretha Watterson etc....

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  2. StandUpTuesday, February 04, 2014 9:14:00 AM

    This should have gone to the court. Guardians must NEVER have the power to make life and death decisions on their own.

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  3. AnonymousTuesday, February 04, 2014 10:53:00 AM

    I agree with both of you. It was Kim Grier's job to protect her ward.

    And also her job to notify the court and let the court decide.

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  4. RachelTuesday, February 04, 2014 11:50:00 AM

    Thank you for posting, NASGA, and for keeping us informed of situations like this. No guardian should have this power.

    ReplyDelete
  5. FinnyTuesday, February 04, 2014 5:21:00 PM

    This is the biggest argument ever about the problems of having a third party guardian who does not know his or her wards' preferences or wishes.

    ReplyDelete