If you are in a hospital during a pandemic try to act normal

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 10GNVM.DTL

Thought I'd share this Article in the San Francisco Chronicle I just read concerning future treatment of those determined by emergency room personnel to have a "severe mental impairment" (I know that ASDs are not thought of as that) - I'm not sure who would be the person to determine who has a "severe mental impairment" at the triage center in an emergency room either, but here it is:

Triage plan details whom to let die during a pandemic

Nurses or Doctors? will determine who has a "severe mental impairment" and they will
LET THOSE PEOPLE DIE in the event of a pandemic. That's what the article seems to be saying.

I wonder, Is it up to the nurses on duty to determine that? What if the person unknowingly says
something offensive in their moment of pain, might they be labeled "mentally defective"?
Hope it doesn't get to the point where if someone seems different or is acting odd, that
they will be given a lower priority for medical care?? Based upon my past luck with certain
people, I can see that happening to me.. I could be misunderstood or irritate the controlling nurse and they will "teach me a fatal lesson" because they have the power...? Could this happen to some of us on the "autistic spectrum" in the event we have to go to a hospital during an extreme pandemic.. or other hellish occurrence in society..??

I hope if I ever find myself in that situation, I will remember this article and try and act as normal as possible... or have someone with me that can explain "She's just experiencing alot of anxiety from lack of sleep"... or say something like that...

If such a situation would emerge, that would be the rational thing to do. I don't think most Aspies would be included in such a list unless (low functioning autistics on the other hand...) and it most of the denial seems to be based on the person's age and age-related mental conditions (i.e. Alzheimer's).

It looks like when they are talking about "severe mental impairment" that they mean severe, advanced, and progressive mental disorders such as Alzheimer's, dementia etc. It doesn't sound like they mean run-of-the-mill mentally ret*d people or those with other stable mental conditions.

I think Aspies and HFA are pretty safe here. It's the Low-functioning end of the spectrum that has to worry...

But again, I think the rules are intended to help hospital's prioritize in case of a global vaccine shortage where the fate of the human civilization as a whole is at stake. If they have enough treatment for everyone, they'll treat everyone. So we might not even have to worry.

I guess in a certain way, it can make sense.. to try and save those who have more of a chance of surviving... I just tend to be a bit overly-concerned about discrimination for being different... I would not want some employee in the hospital knowing anything about any "mental" or neurological issues if I could help it... just because... I don't want to give them an excuse to put some check mark on a form that could be misinterpreted...

I guess I can see where they have to make decisions like that... I just don't want to be a statistic because I mention something that they don't really NEED to know or because of some possibly visible ADHD or NLD (ASD ) issues...

I'm probably being overly concerned.. ha... some may think "paranoid"... I just found the whole article pretty disturbing.. and feel that I will try my best to act "normal" if I'm ever in that type of a situation... if that's at all possible... In other words, I won't be prefacing things like "I have NLD and that's why... bla bla bla... or I have.. such and such..." They Don't really need to know that.. just that I have some kindof pandemic flu... just like everybody else.....

How awful--I wouldn't want that job.

equinn

since a lot of us tend not to get to close to people, we don't seem to get sick as much...at least I dont...

now if you have a meltdown, they might try to isolate you, but it would depend on the vector, the symptoms, the pathology, dozens of factors. The old 'danger to yourself, or others' would probably be how they play it.

I read it....

This is what triage means...

Triage (pronounced /ˈtriːɑːʒ/) is a process of prioritizing patients based on the severity of their condition so as to treat as many as possible when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning "to sort, sift or select." There are two types of triage: simple triage and advanced triage.

(copied from wikipedia)

So that list, while not being the most PC or even the most compassionate is fitting when it comes down to what they are making it for, a disaster. When thousands to millions will die, or are dying, who do they try to save? The young, able bodied and able minded. Now, it did say severe mental impairment (such as not giving someone in a coma a vaccine), so I would cut them a little slack there.

oh and a word for the wise... try to stay away from hospitals in pandemics anyways.. if you aren't already sick, you are going to catch it there..

It makes sense to plan; otherwise you'll end up with individuals having to make these decisions, as already happened in the wake of Katrina:
Doctor/Nurses Arrested
The doctor was acquitted for lack of evidence and the nurses were allowed to testify instead of being charged.

No treatment for burn victims over 60, eh? Best start wearing our fireproof undies (not quite there, yet, but just to be on the safe side...).