Position Paper – Telling the Truth to a Patient Regarding Their Medical Condition
1. Introduction When a patient is suffering from a terminal illness, the physicians oftentimes are confronted with the issue of how much the person should know about their condition and if it is beneficial to withhold information from them. This issue has two main facets: 1) the medical evaluation – will the patient’s awareness improve […]
Position Paper – Treating a Patient with No Chance of Recovery
1. Introduction The question of whether there is a reason to continue treatment of a person with an untreatable illness arises in several medical conditions: terminally ill patients sometimes express their wishes not to continue treatment – in the moment or as an advance directive – when there is no chance of recovery. In many […]
Position Paper: The Impact of Suffering on Medical and Halachic Considerations
1. Introduction Oftentimes, illness and suffering are fundamentally intertwined. But if we are able to isolate these two components, even on just a theoretical level, the question arises: what is the place of suffering in medical and halachic considerations? We will examine two sides of this problem. First, we will examine whether there is a […]
Chanukah Guidelines for a Person with Dementia and their Family
Chanukah brings with it light for the household and for the family – candle lighting, familiar customs, and uplifting tunes. When dealing with a person with dementia it can have almost the opposite effects. On the one hand, they are faced with a change in daily routine which can aggravate and confuse them. On the other hand, the experience awakens joyous memories together with the family. This matter brings up numerous discussions surrounding halacha, mental health, and ethics. We will address these in the guidelines below.
Position Paper: Family Involvement in Medical Decision Making
1. Introduction Oftentimes we will be confronted with situations that challenge what the status of the family is in medical decision making, especially when the patient is unconscious or is not fit to make decisions independently. It is obvious that in cases where the patient is conscious and of sound mind, we are obligated to […]
Position Paper – Treatment of Dementia Patients
1. Introduction Alzheimer’s Disease is a disorder that develops slowly over the course of many years. This disease has no cure as of today and the treatment focuses on slowing its progression. One of the central pathologies of the disorder is dementia. Dementia, an irreversible process, presents mainly amongst the elderly and is accompanied by […]
Position Paper – Forced Medical Treatment
1. Introduction Many factors could bring a patient to refuse medical treatment offered to them. There are patients who have given up hope regarding their condition and who do not desire intervention, potentially even in denial about the possibility of death. Some might even prefer death over their life of suffering. There are patients who […]
Position Paper: Patient Fulfillment of Mitzvot
It is a tremendous zechut for a patient to be able to fulfill mitzvot, to daven and continue in their regular way of life. Aside from the reward one receives from performing a mitzvah, especially in a difficult time, there are also mental and medical benefits. This is true especially for an elderly person in […]
Position Paper – Organ Donation
1. Introduction The donation of vital organs from deceased donors is one of the most impactful ways to save a life. Medical innovation nowadays has enabled us to take an organ from a donor, whether dead or alive, and implant it into the body of another person. Fundamentally, one may differentiate between three types of […]
Position Paper – Reducing Oxygen Therapy from the Ventilator of a Terminally Ill Patient
1. Introduction Can one cease ventilation of a suffering patient when chances of recovery are low or non-existent? Medical capabilities nowadays enable prolonging of life under these circumstances, but is it proper to take this step regardless? Does the obligation to prolong life apply even in situations where there is no benefit and the treatment […]
