Forum Topic

Voluntary euthanasia.

Should assisted voluntary suicide be made legal in Britain? Or is it too serious a question to contemplate in parliament? Is it the same thing as voluntary euthanasia?

Gerry Tan ● 4434d18 Comments

Anyone who has had an operation will know how uncomfortable it can be to have a dry mouth and lips and be denied a drink.There are little sponges on sticks which can be used to wet the mouth and lipsalve to stop the lips from cracking from dryness.  These together with adequate pain relief is important but it can be difficult to manage the pain, comfort and medication.

Philippa Bond ● 4428d

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/10330823/Number-of-Dutch-killed-by-euthanasia-rises-by-13-per-cent.htmlThere are many Dutch people who carry cards saying that they do not want euthanasia.

Philippa Bond ● 4429d

When my friends much loved father was dying of pancreatic  cancer, the family wanted to try everything and anything to keep him with them for longer despite his suffering. His Daughter in law, a doctor, was a brilliant go between the doctors and the family. she was medically aware of the suffering and finality of the patient's condition and helped them make the decisions they had to make with regard to his care. Intervention was reduced and his last few days were made peaceful as he slipped away.This is such a difficult topic. Everyone feels strongly and differently and until it happens to us personally we don't know for sure how we would respond.The scariest thing for me is to be declared unsound of mind and no longer allowed to make the decision to refuse treatment.

Kim Rugg ● 4429d

It should be possible to keep people free of pain at the end, but medical staff are so afraid of being accused of ending their lives prematurely that they err on the side of caution! The law is clear that the dying can be kept pain-free even if that means a slightly earlier death.I like to think that if it was a loved-one of mine, I would nag the medical profession into doing the right thing.

Susan Kelly ● 4429d

If I really knew my friend and if I felt they were genuine and sincere in their desire, I would consult their wife/partner/or whatever and if they wanted me to assist, I would escort my friend to Switzerland, as an act of true frienship. I would also consult their vicar and GP. I wouldn't like the responsibility, but I would do it.

Gerry Tan ● 4429d

Would you take a friend to Switzerland to end their life?

Philippa Bond ● 4429d

Interesting questions Philippa, I wish I knew the answers.

Gerry Tan ● 4429d

I spent a couple of hours today talking - just talking - to someone dying from cancer. I can't do much more than this for her.  When quality of life is slowly deteriorating as pain increases and it becomes more of a struggle to live you do ask the question Gerry has.  You could also ask the question whether you should force someone to have an operation which might save their life when they might not be happy with the quality of life afterwards?

Philippa Bond ● 4429d

BTW The person who had her drugs tweaked was on painkillers and was awaiting a hip replacement operation.Once she had had that she was expected to be able to drop the painkillers.  It just shows how things can go badly wrong unnecessarily and can sometimes be easily put right.

Philippa Bond ● 4431d

Both of these can cause confusion.I have often seen nurses trying to keep safe "wandering" patients who have a urinary tract infection.  Not so long ago I met someone who had had her drugs changed and became well enough to go home (and not stay in the psychiatric hospital) which she had been in for a while.Anaesthetic can also cause problems which can be frightening to both patient and family visiting.

Philippa Bond ● 4431d

How do you do that?  There are a lot of people who cannot afford to go into care homes.  There are a lot of people who don't want to go into care homes as they don't feel ready to lose that much of their independence.  There are some people who live in care homes almost as if they were living in a  hotel - they spend a fair amount of time out doing their own activities yet have the backup organisation should they need it.  There would need to be more money put into care homes.  Isn't the situation now that those with any money are subsidising those without?  Local Authorities don't pay the same rates for those that they pay for.The situation is the same as that in hospitals.  Staffing costs a lot of money so the staffing tends to be the minimum.  It may be fine when everyone is well and the rota works well but as soon as something goes wrong and there are people missing from the rota...  you get shortages of staff, and staff working longer hours than they should.Care homes need visitors for many reasons.  It takes the pressure off stretched staff if they don't have to spend as much time talking to those staying there.  It is good for those there to go out and see and talk to people who aren't living there.  Whereas once everyone spent more time in the sitting rooms because that was where the radio or television was, nowadays everyone has their own technology - so the social time is around meals but staff of course want to clear up as soon as possible.Since everyone goes back to their rooms after meals it means it can make it that little bit harder to engage residents in organised activities.  These are very valuable and I've heard how much they can be enjoyed - someone singing old songs and a musical concert are two I remember hearing about.  That should be something worth sponsoring.It amazes me the way that people seem to think that they can't visit their friends in care homes.  We might not have so many problems if they did.

Philippa Bond ● 4431d

Tony,Surely it would be much better to enforce standards in ALL care homes and make people's life cheerful and happy in them.

Keith Iddon ● 4433d

Tony, the stories about rogue care homes refer to a tiny minority. My mother's been in four homes -- two for short respite stays, then one care home for three years and now a nursing home since Easter. All of them were staffed by kind, caring people who were doing their best.

Susan Kelly ● 4433d

Please remember that memory is multi-sensory.If you hear what is going on as well as seeing then you are more likely to remember.  Your sense of smell may not be as good, the same with your sense of touch as you age especially if you have broken a wrist or two falling.  If you are lucky you will still enjoy your sense of taste.Make sure that you look after your eyesight and hearing well.  There are too many hearing aids stuck in drawers and glaucoma is known as the silent stealer of sight because it can do just that.Those are the five main senses but there are supposed to be lots more!

Philippa Bond ● 4433d

I think that I would prefer voluntary euthanasia rather than be put into a care home. Reading these stories about the way they treat some of their patients worries me.

Tony Maxey ● 4433d

"Where else would you have such serious questions contemplated other than by our elected representatives?"Susan, I had in mind the various forums and platforms where public opinions are aired and formed, like the press, TV, professional bodies, places of education etc including parliament.

Gerry Tan ● 4433d

Death and end of life care should be discussed a lot more as what is going on now is far from satisfactory.

Philippa Bond ● 4434d

Parliament is the only place that can contemplate it, as it would require a change in the law. Where else would you have such serious questions contemplated other than by our elected representatives?

Susan Kelly ● 4434d