Caring for the Seriously Ill and Dying Russ Rentler, MD, CMD Internal Medicine and Geriatrics
Introduction My story of how Catholic medical ethics impacted my practice of medicine with patients at the end of life.
Rationale for teaching and promoting the Catholic understanding of caring for the seriously ill and dying- Lack of Catechesis among the laity Healthcare System Not Aligned with Catholic Medical Ethics “Quality of Life” is Inappropriate Paradigm to Guide Care Pervasive Culture of Death Financial Crisis in Healthcare Affects Delivery of End of Life Care. (Netherlands-euthanasia, England- Liverpool Pathway
Societal View of End of Life
Catholic View of End of Life
Russell J Rentler, MD 4/11/13
Redemptive Suffering Definition Useful Prayers: The Morning Offering
Prayer of Surrender
Misconceptions in Catholic End of Life Discussions All treatment “all the time” Suffering is necessary Church Is against Advanced Directives Everyone dies with a Feeding Tube on a ventilator Others?
Palliative Care Definition Hospice vs Palliative Care Church Encourages Palliative and Hospice care Pope Pius 12th and Blessed Pope John Paul 2
Principle of Double Effect The action intended is morally good or neutral The good effect must not come about as a result of the evil effect The good must be willed and the evil merely tolerated for allowed The good effect must be at least equivalent in importance to the evil effect, ie, there must be sufficient reason for permitting the evil effect to occur