Hopefully this isn't considered "medical" advice, if it is, I apologize and just close the thread.
Right now my dad is having massive trouble breathing, and neither me nor my mom can convince him to go to the doctors or the hospital. He just walked into his house a few minutes ago, and I could literally hear him wheezing worse then a person with emphysema and pneumonia put together from the moment he walked in the door. This has been going on for over a week and he just keeps saying "That's life" when I or my mom tell him he's killing himself.
So, my question is, if I called 911, and explained the situation to them, could they send an ambulance and take him to the hospital without his permission? My wife says no because he's fully cognizant and aware of himself, but I think they might because even if he is fully in control of his faculties he is making decisions that are obviously seriously affecting his health in a negative way(by refusing to go to the hospital/doctors and letting his breathing get worse). But I don't want to waste their time if they can't force him to go.