My grandma shouted at the top of her lungs, “Freeloaders! All of you!” As she was taken away, into the car that would driver her to a nursing home. She sat still in the car crying about her money, crying about her son and crying about anything. She couldn’t remember where her son went or what happened to her money. She couldn’t remember anything at all. Alzheimer’s is a terminal disease that’s incurable but can be treated and slowed down. For now my grandma has to suffer several medications that calm her down to the point where she’s catatonic and not herself. Shouldn’t someone suffering the crippling effects of Alzheimer’s, a terminal disease, enjoy their life or at the very least be granted a peaceful death? I feel that terminal patients …show more content…
In “A Crime of Compassion” by Barbara Huttmann, a patient of hers, Mac, is a terminal patient who changes from a healthy man to a “60-pound skeleton,” (15). This man was suffering from terminal lung cancer. Stated several times in the story they had to resuscitate him often. Huttmann writes,” We resuscitated him 52 times in just one month.” (15). He is going to die no matter how many times they bring him back. He suffers from death constantly at his door and in pain when not given medication. Even Huttman wanted his suffering to end and death was the only option he wanted. He’s not living a full life while he’s bed ridden. Huttmann writes, “When Mac had wasted away to a 60-pound skeleton kept alive to liquid food we poured down a tube, i.v. solutions we dripped down into his veins, and oxygen we piped to a mask on his face, he begged us ‘Mercy… for God’s sake, please just let me go’”,(15). Mac is one of many terminal patients who wish to die but can’t be granted it because it’s against the law to assist in suicide. These patients live long painful lives until they …show more content…
People like Mac who suffered for a long time should be allowed to die if they wish. It may not always be the best option for all terminally ill patients, such as my mom’s friend who has the will to live and is being treated with little negative effects. Everyone should have a say in when to end their lives when they have a terminal illness. For many people it is usually important to be able to be fully aware and conscious until the ends of their lives. Unfortunately when people are suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer’s the first thing the person loses is their sound minds. To many this is an unbearable occurrence to have happen
As a result, life-sustaining procedures such as ventilators, feeding tubes, and treatments for infectious and terminal diseases are developing. While these life-sustaining methods have positively influenced modern medicine, they also inadvertently cause terminal patients extensive pain and suffering. Previous to the development of life-sustaining procedures, many people died in the care of their own home, however, today the majority of Americans take their last breath lying in a hospital bed. As the advancement of modern medicine continues, physicians and patients are going to encounter life-altering trials and tribulations. Arguably, the most controversial debate in modern medicine is the discussion of the ethical choice for physician-assisted suicide.
Others already dictate most of what elderly people do, but no one should be allowed to make a person live somewhere they don’t want to. But why is it that we are only allowed the choice of living in a nursing home or seeking treatment? This takes the comfort out of people’s lives. Doctors ignore quality of life that can be given before they die and instead they only discuss treatment. It’s almost as if doctors are trying to trick people into believing that if they find the right treatment, everything will be cured, however, people have a hard time accepting mortality. Gawande believes that “arriving at an acceptance of one’s mortality and a clear understanding of the limits and the possibilities of medicine is a process, not an epiphany” (182). Death has always been there, so it is only a matter of processing it instead of believing that it is a new thing we have to deal with in life. When we have truly accepted our fate, we begin a process in order to go in peace. It is obvious that death is inevitable, but I believe that people have a hard time realizing that we are not immortal, that we must come to an end one way or another. That being said, I think that the elderly would rather live a short life the way they want versus a long, drawn out life of misery. Maslin believes this as well. She reasons that older people who remain at home and aren’t forced into nursing homes are able to enjoy their lives
The thought of death is a scary one. However the scarier thought is “living” a life in pain and suffering from an incurable and terminal disease such as cancer or Alzheimer’s. Imagine your grandparent has recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung cancer. Now the doctor will list off all the possible treatments and in your heart you want your grandparent to try everything to fight for their life. After hearing the doctor give the terrible news, your grandparent ask the doctor about some options but also mentions assisted death. Your mind floods with memories and arguments against it. Your grandparent explains how they have lived a full life, doesn’t want to put the family in debt from the medical bills along with the inevitable cost of a funeral and have
The boundaries of right to die with dignity are hard to determine. Keeping the terminal patient comfortable is the purpose of comfort care, however there could be a very thin line between what we consider terminal sedation and euthanasia. In theory, comfort care is quite different from euthanasia. Keeping the patient comfortable and letting the nature take its course is at the core of comfort measures (Gamliel, 2012). Yet, the line between keeping comfortable and facilitating death is often blurry. Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering (Gamliel, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to highlight the ethical issue of keeping comfortable vs. hastening death, and the ethical principles involved. Facilitating or hastening death is considered unethical or even illegal.
Barbra Huttmann’s purpose in writing her story in A Crime of Compassion is to convince people that no matter their beliefs, it is sometimes more humane to let someone die if they are suffering. This was the case with a cancer patient of hers named Mac. She communicates this directly by saying, “Until there is legislation making it a criminal act to code a patient has requested the right to die, we will all of us risk of the same face as Mac” (Huttmann 422).
The controversial act known as the physician aid-in-dying (PAD) challenges us to question our ethical, religious, and cultural values or beliefs. Although it is tragic and perceived as morally inappropriate, suicide is sometimes the only answer. In certain cases this act is a way to end excruciating pain and suffering. The state of Oregon passed a law known as the Death with Dignity Act in 1994. PAD is defined as “a practice in which a physician provides a competent, terminally ill patient with a prescription for a lethal dose of medication, upon the patient's request, which the patient intends to use to end his or their own life” (Braddock, and Tonelli). PAD also raises the question, is it a constitutionally guaranteed right for people to have the power and the medicine to take their own life? PAD, if operating under careful supervision, is an alternative to patients who may have to endure physical, mental, and financial struggles. Doctor Peter Goodwin, a physician from Portland, Oregon campaigned for the Death with Dignity Act, which he called his greatest legacy. Goodwin became a terminally ill patient towards the end of his life. Doctor Goodwin was 83 years old when he took the very medicine that he campaigned so long for. Goodwin was diagnosed with a rare brain disorder, which he had been battling for 6 years prior to PAD.
The decision to end a life is a difficult one no matter the situation presented. It stirs a great deal of emotions when thinking about a loved one choosing to die in situations where they are terminally ill. Death is a scary thought for most people, but we need to remember that it is just a fact of life, no matter how morbid it sounds. There is some dignity in ending a life for a patient is who terminally ill and suffering, although it may be a tough decision, it can sometimes be the right one.
Imagine, if you will, that you have just found out you have a terminal medical condition. Doesn’t matter which one, it’s terminal. Over the 6 months you have to live you experience unmeasurable amounts of pain, and when your free of your pain the medication you’re under renders you in an impaired sense of consciousness. Towards the 4th month, you begin to believe all this suffering is pointless, you are to die anyways, why not with a little dignity. You begin to consider Physician-Assisted Suicide (PAS). In this essay I will explain the ethical decisions and dilemmas one may face when deciding to accept the idea of Physician-Assisted Suicide. I will also provide factual information pertaining to the subject of PAS and testimony from some that advocate for legalization of PAS. PAS is not to be taken lightly. It is the decision to end one’s life with the aid of a medical physician. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary states that PAS is “Suicide by a patient facilitated by means (as a drug prescription) or by information (as an indication of a lethal dosage) provided by a physician aware of the patient’s intent.” PAS is considered, by our textbook – Doing Ethics by Lewis Vaughn, an active voluntary form of euthanasia. There are other forms of euthanasia such as non-voluntary, involuntary, and passive. This essay is focusing on PAS, an active voluntary form of euthanasia. PAS is commonly known as “Dying/Death with Dignity.” The most recent publicized case of PAS is the case of Brittany Maynard. She was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in California, where she lived. At the time California didn’t have Legislative right to allow Brittany the right to commit PAS so she was transported to Oregon where PAS is legal....
The approach of physician-assisted suicide respects an individual’s need for personal dignity. It does not force the terminally ill patient to linger hopelessly, and helplessly, often at great cost to their psyche. It drive’s people mad knowing they are going to die in a short period of time, suffering while they wait in a hospital bed.
As patients come closer to the end of their lives, certain organs stop performing as well as they use to. People are unable to do simple tasks like putting on clothes, going to the restroom without assistance, eat on our own, and sometimes even breathe without the help of a machine. Needing to depend on someone for everything suddenly brings feelings of helplessness much like an infant feels. It is easy to see why some patients with terminal illnesses would seek any type of relief from this hardship, even if that relief is suicide. Euthanasia or assisted suicide is where a physician would give a patient an aid in dying. “Assisted suicide is a controversial medical and ethical issue based on the question of whether, in certain situations, Medical practioners should be allowed to help patients actively determine the time and circumstances of their death” (Lee). “Arguments for and against assisted suicide (sometimes called the “right to die” debate) are complicated by the fact that they come from very many different points of view: medical issues, ethical issues, legal issues, religious issues, and social issues all play a part in shaping people’s opinions on the subject” (Lee). Euthanasia should not be legalized because it is considered murder, it goes against physicians’ Hippocratic Oath, violates the Controlled
Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia that affects the brain. There is no cure for it but many treatments. Alzheimer’s is fatal and there are few stages of dementia. It is the 6th leading cause of death, more than 5 million Americans have it, and 15,5 million caregivers gave around 17.7 billion hours of unpaid care that cost around $220 billion in 2013. In my family, my grandmother who is 86 years old has very early stages of Alzheimer’s. She started having symptoms when she was 81. My grandfather took most of the care of her but as he got ill my aunt Kathy took over. When my grandfather got ill and had to be in 24 hour care, we all agree to put my grandmother in assisted living care 10 minutes from one of my aunt’s house.
First, there are those who agree with assisted suicide, arguing that a person should have the choice to end one’s own life, to end one’s prolonged pain and suffering. According to Soo Borson, terminally ill diseases like dementia and Alzheimer 's kill, but very slowly and rob a person of their mind long before their body is physically ready to die. Once that happens to the patient, the path is filled with great anguish for the one’s around the patient as well. Personally, I have lived with two grandparents suffering from dementia, and one who suffered with both lung cancer and dementia. It is a sad sight to see how their minds faded and how the disease caused both grandparents to change into people I couldn’t even recognize anymore. According to Andre and Velasquez, medicine and technology have allowed people to live longer lives, but have also allowed people
Thus, despite the arguments against euthanasia, patients’ lives should not be deprived of well-being, comfort or dignity. “In the last stage of life, every person is entitled to a high standard of care and a stable environment in which his or her privacy is respected” (Policy Options, 2013). A lot of the time, patients with terminal illnesses are thought of as ‘better off dead’ or ‘not the person they used to be’. This is all the more the reason why euthanasia should be legalized in Canada. The government should relax current laws and allow doctors to participate in assisted suicide if need be and are willing. If people suffering with terminal illnesses want to die peacefully and not endure painful procedures or live off machines whilst also helping society out money wise, the option should be available.
Throughout the course of history, death and suffering have been a prominent topic of discussion among people everywhere. Scientists are constantly looking for ways to alleviate and/or cure the pain that comes with the process of dying. Treatments typically focus on pain management and quality of life, and include medication and various types of therapy. When traditional treatments are not able to eliminate pain and suffering or the promise of healing, patients will often consider euthanasia or assisted suicide. Assisted suicide occurs when a person is terminally ill and believes that their life is not worth living anymore. As a result of these thoughts and feelings, a physician or other person is enlisted to “assist” the patient in committing suicide. Typically this is done by administering a lethal overdose of a narcotic, antidepressant or sedative, or by combining drugs to create an adverse reaction and hasten the death of the sick patient. Though many people believe that assisted suicide is a quick and honorable way to end the sufferings of a person with a severe illness, it is, in fact, morally wrong. Assisted suicide is unethical because it takes away the value of a human life, it is murder, and it opens the door for coercion of the elderly and terminally ill to seek an untimely and premature death. Despite the common people’s beliefs, assisted suicide is wrong and shouldn’t be legalized.
Bob Dent, a terminally ill man from Australia, felt that he deserved to choose when and where he was going to die and wished to die on his own terms. Dent suffered from prostate cancer, and had undergone numerous surgeries throughout his five years of sickness. In 1996, Dent decided it was finally his time to go (Fraser & Walters, 2006, p. 10). Dent asked physician Dr. Philip Nitskche for his assistance. He also wrote a letter to his wife describing why he was making this choice. Bob’s existence was completely dependent upon his wife. He was extremely discontent with his situation, and his wife was suffering due to his constant need of care. Dent had to deal with a recurring hernia, and one of his lungs was partially collapsed. He was bed-ridden from his constant pain. Dent was ready to end the suffering. He plead that this “most compassionate legislation in the world be respected” (p. 7). He wished to end his life the way he wanted: with his dignity intact. Recorded by Fraser and Walters, Bob Dent made the statement (2006):