Planned Care Agreement. Advance Care Directive. Enduring Power of Attorney

Planned Care Agreement/Advance Care Directive/Enduring Power of Attorney

Part I

Death is often forgotten as the basic law of life.  It can come in any form or shape and more often than not when it is least expected.  But the general human experience is that death comes at old age after an individual (he or she) had enjoyed healthy and fulfilling life and left familial progeny.  The challenge that is often faced by a spouse, child, or a grand child is a decision respectful of mum, dad, grandfather, grandmother, or indeed one’s loved one or carer to end one’s life or prolong one’s agony, suffering and mental anguish.  Would I want one of my grandparents, parent, a wife or a sibling who is in intensive care with tubes and monitors stuck or inserted into his or her body and whose heart had stopped resuscitated? If that loved family member had left a document stating his or her wishes in such situation authorizing family member to make decisions in accordance with those wishes such a document would not only save untold remorse and agony but more importantly disputes and finger pointing between family members.  

The mindset, training, and expectation of health practitioner in emergency and intensive care setting is to treat and resuscitate a frail elderly patient whose most likely wish if he or she had a say is to go peacefully.  The untold fact is that five percent (5%) of patients whose heart had stopped and were resuscitated in intensive care ever make it out of hospital.  Those five percent who do make it often after short period return to die more agonizing death.   Legal issues can and indeed do arise for non intervention by health practitioners who are by no mean immune against civil suits by grieving and disgruntled family member or members.  Indeed this scenario could equally apply if the now deceased patient had left advance care authority or enduring power of attorney spelling out his or her wishes in such scenario.  Whilst there had been some legal decisions whether to treat or not treat it is still an area with wide shades of grey for both the medical and legal professions.  

Treating someone who is elderly against his or her wishes would constitute an assault on that someone especially if those wishes are made with undisputed mental capacity.   They could range from refusal to eat or drink, refusal to have blood transfusion, refusal to be intubated and forced fed or medicated against his or her will.  Imagine an elderly legal or medical practitioner in his or her 80’s blatantly refusing treatment having his or her arms and legs tied to bed and tube inserted to force feed or medicate him or her.  To me this is the most serious form of assault, undignified assault made under the pretence and purported protection of the medical profession though not necessarily against the wider or strict interpretation of the ethics of that profession.  It should, in my opinion be punishable as a crime under the Crimes Act of the State or Territory concerned and carries mandatory jail sentence.

In Part II I will look at recent court decisions and the issues that could arise when a person had entrusted someone with authority to make decisions in accordance with his or her wishes.

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Origin of Credit Cards and The Knight Templars

Origin of Credit Cards

&

The Knight Templars

If I were to tell you that the origin of credit cards that all of us carry today to pay our bills, and purchases and to withdraw cash from Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) started in the thirteenth century some 750 ago you will think I am either mad, telling you a lie, or pulling your leg.  In fact I am telling you the truth, the literal Gospel truth that is supported by an overwhelming body of evidence.

Crusades

Without going into details of either the history or the reasons for the Crusades suffices to say that Europe (the Vatican, France, Germany and Spain) where outraged when on 18 October 1009 AD the Sixth Fatimid (Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah) in Egypt ordered the complete destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.  Pope Urban II arranged people crusade.  This first crusade was annihilated by the Seljuk army when it reached modern day Istanbul.  It was followed by a second crusade of trained army that was assisted by the then persecuted Christian community when they crossed from Constantinople into Syria and Lebanon fighting its way to Jerusalem and bringing that Holy City under Christian control for the next 130 years.  The Knight Templars followed the Crusades and established their private niche in Jerusalem around 1120 AD.  Historian and scholars tell us that the Templars are reputed to having dug around Solomon Temple for a period of some 10 years and held onto secret relics and loots which may have included the elusive Holy Grail.   It is the Knight Templars that set the ‘template and moulds’ in place for the plastic cards that manufacturer of purses and wallets make attractive sleek slots to fit our visas, Master cards, Diners, AMX and number of other financial institution now compete to give and attract customers.  It is hard to believe that what is accepted as a norm today for commercial transactions did in fact started some 900 years ago.  

Once the crusaders had settled in Jerusalem pilgrims started coming from the various European countries.  At best of time the journey from any country in Europe to Jerusalem was hazardous.  In come the highly trained Knight Templars to the rescue.   The Templars established a safe route from Europe to Jerusalem with accommodation and safe escort along the way.  Instead of carrying money or valuables that could be lost or stolen arrangements were made whereby pilgrims deposited lump sum in advance with institution set up by the Templars (modern day banks) and were given vouchers that recorded expenditure incurred on the way to and from and in Jerusalem.  When a pilgrim   returned to Europe all expenses, be they food, accommodation, purchases etc were recorded and tabulated against initial deposit paid by the said pilgrim.  If refund was due it was given and if a shortfall was to be paid by the pilgrim it was paid.   Needless to say the final figure would have included either a lump sum or a scale fee for administrative charges and services provided by the Templars.  

The Templars became popular and rich throughout Europe and soon were seen as economic and curial threat to kings, especially France, and the Vatican.  They were dispossessed of their wealth and their leaders. Especially in France were burnt at stake.  Considerable number of them fled to other parts of Europe especially Scotland, Ireland and the Scandinavian countries.  In Scotland with the financial assistance of the Sinclair Family they built the Rosslyn Chapel, an identical geographical coordinate settings and structural replica to Solomon Temple.

In Scandinavia the Templars fought in the various Nordic wars that were raging at the time and the conclusion of which led to modern day map of Northern Europe.  It is interesting to say the least that the regalia of the Swiss Guards that are responsible for police, safety and day to day functioning of the Vatican is almost identical to that warn by the Knight Templars.    What did the Templars find in 9 plus years digging around the perimeters of Solomon Temple?  Where in the modern day world are these finds mysteriously hidden?  It is interesting to note that the modern day flag of Switzerland is almost a replica of the Knight Templar uniform.  

No this is not Dan Brown this is reality!

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