# Refusal of care among paralyzed people **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusal-of-care-among-paralyzed-people/302891 "2005-05-08T03:10:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusal-of-care-among-paralyzed-people/302891/1 "2005-05-08T03:10:14Z")
A friend of mine asked this, inspired by the film “Million Dollar Baby”. Would someone who is paralyzed and only able to breathe with a respirator be able to ask to be taken off the machine? Does the law (in the case of the film, the law of California) allow a patient in that state to make such a declaration? ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusal-of-care-among-paralyzed-people/302891/2 "2005-05-08T13:01:32Z")
Don’t ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ (DNR) orders cover this? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusal-of-care-among-paralyzed-people/302891/3 "2005-05-08T13:37:17Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Don’t ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ (DNR) orders cover this? Nope. Having one’s respirator turned off is a whole different action than not taking action to resuscitate someone. As for the OP, I’m guessing but I think it varies from state to state and even where it is allowed a lot will hinge on patient competency issues. I expect a doper knowledgeable about the subject will be along soon. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusal-of-care-among-paralyzed-people/302891/4 "2005-05-08T14:52:01Z")
“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” ~ John Locke ~ ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refusal-of-care-among-paralyzed-people/302891/5 "2005-05-08T14:53:30Z")
For my state, in the absence of a court order adjudicating the individual to be incompetent, that person is assumed to be competent. In the case where communication takes place requesting that any treatment not be given, giving such a treatment is a violation of that patient’s rights. That includes treatments felt by the physician to be necessary to sustain life. However, an unconscious or incoherent patient is assumed to give consent absent specific orders to the contrary. Patients unable to communicate clearly (Which includes many people on life support) would probably be treated, unless they resisted physically in a purposeful way to that specific treatment they wished to have stopped. (The attitude of the individual caregiver who receives that type of communication matters entirely too much.) ## Tris “I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” ~ John Locke ~