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Death with dignity is a term used for legalized physician-assisted suicide, with some restrictions, for people that are terminally ill. The clinical term for it is euthanasia. It is a practice that ends life in order to relieve a person of excruciating pain and suffering in their final days when the person requests it.
It's legal in Oregon, Washington and Montana. It is now coming up for a vote in Massachusetts and is being discussed by legislators in New Jersey.
How do you feel about the idea of physicians helping a competent, terminally ill patient that requests an end to their pain and suffering? Should they be allowed to assist in terminating the life or should nature just be allowed to take its course without intervention?
For me, death with dignity would not include assisted suicide since it is against my beliefs to end my life or that of another. I have heard that those that are suffering, as medication for the pain is increased, often "slip" away into death at the point where the medication is so heavy to relief the pain and suffering. I don't have a problem with that but just giving a lethal administered dose that would end my life or that of a loved one, no. I am afraid that many would choose this in order to save the expense of care that would fall upon existing family members like an obligation to die which might fall in line with how insurance companies can save money and having a death board decide who should live and who should die. I am kind of old-fashioned though.
The government may claim to own my body, my life. But they don't; I do. Therefore, I have the right to terminate my life at any time or in any way I choose.
I'd use the same criteria a no kill animal sanctuary uses, terrible pain with no hope of recovery.
But only I have that right, not an insurance company or government death board.
Death with dignity is a term used for legalized physician-assisted suicide, with some restrictions, for people that are terminally ill. The clinical term for it is euthanasia. It is a practice that ends life in order to relieve a person of excruciating pain and suffering in their final days when the person requests it.
It's legal in Oregon, Washington and Montana. It is now coming up for a vote in Massachusetts and is being discussed by legislators in New Jersey.
How do you feel about the idea of physicians helping a competent, terminally ill patient that requests an end to their pain and suffering? Should they be allowed to assist in terminating the life or should nature just be allowed to take its course without intervention?
I believe in it and if it got to the point I could no longer live a reasonable quality of life then I would like a graceful, painless way to end my life otherwise I will take care of it myself one way or another.
If and when pain becomes too much, enough morphine or something similar, will hasten the end.
Is this suicide, death with dignity or assisted euthanasia? Call it what you want, it should be done. Make it quicker and more pain free should be the accepted way.
I remember when my grandmother was dying from colon cancer. Her doctor didn't want to give her anything more for pain because, "it was habit forming." She was 82 and dying. He was concerned about her becoming adicted. My mother told him that she would get another doctor. She did. G'mother was given more morphine. She slept the next few days without pain and then dying. She might have lived an additional three or more days, without the extra morphine, with more pain.
People don't generally like to discuss this topic because they would rather think about living and life. Nobody likes to think about the end of life. When we are forced to do it, it's like, "ok, but lets make it quick and get onto other things."
I believe that if I had no quality of life, a painful terminal illness, etc. I'd want to be able to pull the plug and die gracefully.
I agree Sunnydee, I would too...but no way do I agree with having a doctor do it for you, and no way do I feel it's a good thing to make it legal for them to do so....part of the hippocratic oath doctors take says " I will not give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect"....but that's not the only reason I'm against it...everyone has the right to choose to die, but I feel it's unfair to expect someone else to do the deed, if you won't do it yourself...also by making euthanasia legal, I'm afraid it could be abused.
I agree Sunnydee, I would too...but no way do I agree with having a doctor do it for you, and no way do I feel it's a good thing to make it legal for them to do so....part of the hippocratic oath doctors take says " I will not give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect"....but that's not the only reason I'm against it...everyone has the right to choose to die, but I feel it's unfair to expect someone else to do the deed, if you won't do it yourself...also by making euthanasia legal, I'm afraid it could be abused.
To clarify things a little, the way it is carried out in the states where it has passed is that terminal patients that are interested in the choice must first go through a screening protocol to establish their mental fitness to make the decision. If they pass then they can obtain a prescription from a doctor for the lethal medication..... that's the extent of the physician's assistance. It is up to the patient then whether to take it or not. Some do and some don't, it's their choice. Here are the most current stats from Oregon where they first passed the Death with Dignity Act.
In 2011 there were lethal prescriptions written out for 114 people.
There were 71 known corresponding DWDA deaths.
Btw, the same discussion is going on over at the Retirement forum.
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