I was concerned when I heard that contributing to the shortage of ventilators was that instead of the usual 3-4 days, some patients were up to 20 days on a ventilator. Many older people have a living will that states that they ”don’t want artificial ventilation”. Being short of breath is frightening for patients and caregivers, I have seen it hundreds of time as an ER nurse. However, there are medications, morphine for one, that can control the symptoms. These medications may contribute to a person’s death but the priority is compassionate comfort measures. In the chaos. without family or friends present, do the staff have the time to check on living wills, etc., or to discuss whether continuing ventilator support is best when there is no hope of recovery? Sometimes ventilators prolong someone’s death. Please, I am NOT saying to take ventilators off older patients or anyone who chooses to continue this treatment.

COVID-19: A message to elders from your VCU Gerontology family
In the midst of a global pandemic, most aspects of daily life have plunged into uncertainty. In that void, elders are being targeted for discrimination. Each day, ageism is becoming more common on the news, on social media, and even from our government.
Uncertainty on a global scale can bring out the worst in people. As a result of these attacks on your dignity, you might be feeling afraid, or alone. So,
We are here to tell you: You are valuable. You are needed. You are worthy.
We are here to tell you that ageism is never okay.
We are here to tell you that you matter, and we love you.
We also believe most people feel this way. These kinds of struggles also bring out the best in people. Most people are loving and kind and want to do their best for others...Spread this message far and wide.

Department of Gerontology
College of Health Professions | Virginia Commonwealth University

Nancy Pelosi's remarks at her press conference yesterday (3/26). This says a lot:

"On Sunday morning ...McConnell, Mnuchin, McCarthy, Chuck and I were there and I said, 'Since it’s Sunday morning, why don’t we begin with a prayer?' My part of it, not their part, my part and I’ll begin with a prayer.
His Holy Pope Francis called for a world prayer. I won’t do it justice, but what he did was to pray that those who have the responsibility to care for others would be enlightened to take that responsibility and act upon it. When I finished my prayer, the secretary (Mnuchin) said, 'Well, you’ve quoted Pope Francis, I’ll quote the markets.'"

I did hear lt. Governor Dan Patrick a couple days ago, shook my head in disgust and presumed everyone else felt the same revulsion I did. Well, at the risk of sounding as awful as these characters, If the millions who rally around gruesome blobs like Donald Trump & Glenn Beck want to prove their loyalty and risk their own lives to save the wealthy—I mean the economy, who am I to try and stop them?

This information reminds me of a movie from the sixties (I don't remember the name and
I'm sure it was relegated to the dust bin years ago) about eliminating elders to let the young free. The "eliminate elders" theme is common in Science Fiction. What we seem to have now is a classic young vs. elders theme. I'll just leave the decision to the doctors. They know the limitations and boundaries. Life and death decisions, after all, is the business they have always been in. The latest news, however, sounds like the virus is not discriminatory. Everybody (including the young) have the potential to participate. My wife and I only worked about 60 years to have some time off. We got one year among the living. Oh, by the way, last I heard the human race is not endangered. Another reason I don't feel so bad about never having children (personal decision). B

Isn't now, during the course of an epic crisis, the point at which religious leaders, (Well, some of them. Let's not forget Savanarola!) exhort the masses to follow the teachings of the original Christ in helping their neighbors, caring for the sick, etc? So I just read that a Texas mega church pastor is holding services anyway because it's the government saying they should stay home! Let's see. You could almost certainly broadcast your service over the internet or even local tv - but oh wait, no collection plate!

Put me on the list to go if this is what the world well be like!

Even the idiots had or have parents and grandparents. Do they really want their own elders to die? Or are they just wishing other people's elders would die?

Reading this, all I can think of is the well-known aphorism attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt's: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Triage has always been part of the emergency and tertiary care protocols. Age figures into it whether we like it or not, but a more significant factor is ability to withstand the intervention. That factor assumes more weight when there are scarce resources.

Senicide among the Inuit was extremely rare by 100 years ago, and they were far from the only culture who practiced it.

These are the very same people who were against the Death with Dignity laws and remain against abortion. They are ruthless and cocky bold and the only thing they care about is making more money.

That being said, I also do not want to be on a ventilator and would happily pass it on to someone else knowing that someone might actually be older than me. The thing is an 80 year old may have much more to offer than a youngster. We don’t know and that’s why our society has tried to never privilege one group of people over another.
Oh well. The times are certainly different now with Trump and the “global” economy.

Well, Beck is only 56 or so, but Patrick, Trump, and Kudlow fall under the definition of elderly. Perhaps they would like to volunteer to be the first to go to set an example.

Standing in line two days ago at Whole Foods, with all the other seniors who were allowed to go into the store an hour before the general public, I wondered if families with children should have been the ones allowed in first. The responsibility of keeping your children fed seems a huge one, maybe more important than making sure I have my veggies.

And while all the grandparents are clogging up the hospitals and dying for the economy, any younger people who have accidents, sudden illnesses, or a worsening of an already established illness will die too. Is that going to be good for the economy too?

Trump's hotels are closed. He wants to reopen them.

What about all of the grandparents taking care of their grandkids? They're suppose to die? Whose going to care for their grandkids?

50% of the people who tested positive in NY and San Francisco are below the age of 49. New Orleans and San Francisco recently had persons below 19 die due to the virus. The reason for the high death rate in Italy is because they are not using ventilators for anyone age 60+. I say to Patrick, Beck and Trump, "you go first".

I prefer the press conferences of Gov. Cuomo. I've watched 3. He is blunt but personable. He is real. My state's governor and city mayor both have been strong and decisive in dealing with this crisis. I tell people I have more faith in my city and state than I do in my country.

This talk about how it is good to let all the elderly die is disgusting. And people are being 'scared to death' by all the constant discussion that older people and people with pre-existing conditions are most likely to not do well and die. I agree with Debra Burke that it is cruel to have doctors and others on the media talking about rationing ventilators and making decisions to let people die, implying it will be older people. It doesn't help to constantly advertise the lack the ventilators to everyone even if it is in the hope of prompting government officials to get going and get more ventilators.

In primitive societies they let their older people die because then they don't have to take care of them. Also, they get rid of the weak ones. COVID-19 has made us reflect. A more humane society is a good one. Why should we lose older people (respect for the wise older people) and the weak ones (they teach us compassion).
Cold hearts that are like stones...need to catch the virus. Let's see how these politicians react when they or their loved ones become ill.

Look up Covid 19 and medical ethics. The reality is when hospital rooms and medical equipment is scarce decisions will be made about who will get treatment. The directives will come from the ethicists who will guide those decisions. There is an article in the New England Journal of Medicine that explains the reasoning behind the recommendations. People who will live the longest are the most likely to get treatment when there aren’t enough beds.
I can understand the decisions intellectually but it feels very personal when I’ll be 80 this year. No matter what language is used some people are going to refused care unless we can stop the spread of this disease.
STAY HOME as much as you are able.

I loved Colbert King's response to a commenter who wrote he hoped King died of the virus:

He's gong to do the best he can to avoid getting the virus so he won't be a burden, and he's going to continue pounding the keyboard writing his columns.

I say the elders have already 'earned' the right to live.