Al Barnes, the frail patient at the center of a court dispute between his wife and Methodist Hospital, had an additional healthcare directive saying that he did not want a feeding tube or other extraordinary measures if he were in a terminal condition, an attorney testified Wednesday. Methodist didn't have that document -- which appears to contradict the wishes of Barnes' wife, Lana -- until Tuesday morning even though Barnes has been in the hospital's care for more than a month, according to Abel Tello, MD, a physician from Methodist. The testimony came in Hennepin County Probate Court, where a referee is trying to decide whether Lana Barnes should remain as her husband's medical decision maker, or whether she is unfit to fulfill that role.
