Terri Schiavo Case Study

The interpretation of the feeding tube being the equivalent of the breathing machine or vice versa is up for debate. These are both machines that can prolong life in some fashion. It does not say she is unable to talk or unable to eat, but rather that she refuses to do both actions. I would advise that her husband and her daughter speak to her to see if she will respond to them. It is quite possible that Ann could die at her own hands because of her refusal. This is somewhat a reminder of the Terri Schiavo case where the patient was in a persistent vegetative state. Her husband argued that she would not want to continue with artificial nutrition and requested that her feeding tube be removed. The patient’s parents argued against her husband and wanted to continue with her feeding tube stating that her medical diagnosis is not what it appears to be. This brought about many courtroom proceedings and even legislature before it was determined that her feeding tube was to be …show more content…
The first step is articulating the problem. This includes clarifying if the feeding tube is equivalent to a breathing machine. This step will also include Frank making the determination if the feeding tube is something that Ann would have wanted. Having both Frank and Sarah to sit and determine what the real problem is between the both of them will assist in determining what to do as far as the next step is concerned. Ann’s refusal to talk or eat is another concern. Her refusal could be based on the fact that she is in such dire pain that she no longer wishes to have anything further to assist with her medical ailments. On the other hand, her refusal could be that she is still somewhat upset and angry at her loved ones for placing her in the home which got her sick in the first place. There are a variety of emotions that are involved at this