This is actually pretty sad to think about because it excludes people with Alzheimer's or dementia and other such illnesses. It also excludes people who are no longer able to communicate, such as those with locked in syndrome.Terry Pratchett did an excellent documentary about ten years ago called “choosing to die”. You do witness a death at Dignitas. Worth a watch if you can find it anywhere.
I live in a state that has “medical aid in dying”
A patient must:
- Be at least 18 year of age or older
- Have a terminal illness with a prognosis of six months or less to live
- Be capable of making their own health care decisions
- Be able to make an informed and voluntary request to their physician
- Be able to self-administer the medication
- Make two oral requests not less than 15 days apart to the physician who will be writing the prescription. Oral requests may be made in the physician’s physical presence or by telemedicine if the physician determines use of telemedicine is clinically appropriate.
- Make a written request. The written request must be signed in the presence of two (2) witnesses who are at least 18 years of age and who sign and affirm that the patient appeared to understand the nature of the document and to be free from duress or undue influence at the time the request was signed.
- Have a second physician confirm that the patient meets the required qualifying criteria.
It depends really some people are perfectly content with dementia , its the family who are distressed. Other times no if someone is very distressed and has a very poor quality of life, there's such a push though to keep going with treatment to avoid getting sued or distressing families. Death has been really sanitised in society, people don't know what the dying process looks like.This is actually pretty sad to think about because it excludes people with Alzheimer's or dementia and other such illnesses. It also excludes people who are no longer able to communicate, such as those with locked in syndrome.
Imagine pacing the halls at 3am looking for dead relatives, convinced they are still here. Imagine feeling terrified and confused, slowly losing your ability to think, speak, swallow, respond to stimulus. Your mind and body crumbling and no way out, no means of escape because you can't understand what's happening to you and why.
A panel of doctors and relatives with powers of attorney should be able to collectively decide in such cases. I disagree that the person should always be of sound mind or even over 18. There should be rare exceptions to the rules that are judged by the experts.
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