The Idaho AARP believes that the Idaho House’s passage of Senate Bill 1353, more commonly known as health worker’s conscience rights legislation, will allow health care workers to ignore end-of-life directives of patients.
In a statement released by the organization, the group said that it believes it the bill could “leave patient’s needs, rights, and wishes out in the cold.”
From the release:
“Today, the Idaho House said it’s all right for health care professionals to ignore the wishes and instructions of their patients – and that’s a dangerous directions for health care in our state,” said Jim Wordelman, State Director for AARP in Idaho. ”AARP members across Idaho are outraged by this bill and its implications on their living wills, advance directives and end of life care”
“This bill will leave patients struggling, unsure of what care they’ll get when it comes to their end of life issues,” added Wordelman. ”A deathbed is the wrong place to learn what violates someone else’s conscience and what doesn’t.”
IdahoReporter.com was able to speak with David Irwin, the group’s spokesman, shortly after lawmakers in the House passed the legislation. Here is what Irwin had to say:
The legislation passed on a 51-19 vote in the House to overcome its final hurdle before being sent to Gov. Butch Otter for his signature. House Democrats tried to remove the end-of-life language from the bill Tuesday, but Republicans voted the attempt down.
AARP sure doesn’t speak for me or for most Americans over 55 that I know. That’s why so many canceled memberships…
This legislation is an outrage providing that despite your advance directive to have your life end naturally in as little discomfort as possible, some pious ass religious nut doctor can direct that you be kept artificially alive in misery against your wishes and family, draining everyone’s bank account too so they can feel virtuous.
I was very glad the AARP alerted me on this. Too bad it came too late to prevent passage.
These religious crackpots are getting to be very dangerous. Down with Idaho’s growing theocracy.
[...] (Note: The legislation drew fire from the Idaho branch of the AARP. Go here to read about the AARP’s opposition to the bill.) [...]
[...] Winder, R-Boise. The freedom of conscience rights for pharmacists and other health care workers received criticism from the AARP and some pro-choice groups that said it could allow health care professionals to ignore the wishes [...]
[...] reductions for public education and some health care services that affect senior citizens. The group also opposed a law extending conscience rights to health care workers because it included language that could allow workers not to follow patients’ living wills or [...]