Need for living wills

On the front page of USA Today appeared a thought provoking article on the need for living wills as more troops return fro Iraq and Afghanistan with severe brain damage.  With the advances in medical care, the armed forces are finding that more and more individuals suffering from severe brain trauma are surviving their initial injuries but are left with catastrophic life long injuries including permanent coma or other conditions that make them totally dependent upon others for their needs. The story can be found here.

A second story familiar to all of us who advocate for persons with severe brain injury concerns the catastrophic care and costs associated with this disabling injury.  Click here to read story.

It's about time that the media focuses attention on the enormous personal toll and financial burden that severe brain injury places upon a family.  What these stories need to address is the scarcity of resources available for family members, the refusal of insurance companies to pay for the costs of brain injury rehabilitation and long term care and the paucity of facilities to provide quality treatment.