Assisted dying

The statement that excellent end of life care is available is a load of poppycock.I have just watched my husband die in absolute agony.

Well I hope it doesn't take the form of gradually starving and dehydrating people to death like that Liverpool Lack-of-Care Pathway

MissInterpreted

I am absolutely in favour of it. Yes, safeguards would be needed to protect the vulnerable, but we should all have the right to die with dignity. We don't let our beloved pets linger on in suffering, so why should humans have to?

I agree.

Love

The statement that excellent end of life care is available is a load of poppycock.I have just watched my husband die in absolute agony.

I’m so sorry

Both my parents ended up in care homes with dimensia. One home despicable and fought us tooth and nail to prevent us moving him because it was so bad. Mums was better but still not where I would want to end my days. She often said ‘ you can live too long’ and I think she was right. My husband died in a hospice, really well cared for but his last weeks were dreadful for him and us to watch. Those last few days were all I could think of for a long time. I swore then to myself I will go when I want to. It’s my life and I should be able to decide when I am ready to leave it. So yes I’m very much in favour of assisted dying.

When my 93 year old father lay dying, he begged me to put him out of his misery. He was in constant pain, sometimes crying out or screaming when anyone tried to move him. Given that we couldn’t help him, he decided that his only option was to refuse any food and drink, so that the end would come sooner. He made the point that if he allowed an animal to suffer in such a way, he would be prosecuted. It was extremely distressing trying to care for him and watching him suffer so terribly. He was a wonderful father and I felt enormous guilt at watching him suffer and denying the help he was begging for.

rocketship

I'm a Canadian. We have had assistance in dying for quite a while now, and it was a huge blessing for many many folks.

The process for those applying for MAID [Medical Assistance In Dying] is rigorous and well monitored.

The person applying must be mentally competent and be able to give final consent at the time the procedure is done.

** I am a strong advocate of 'Advanced Consent' which would allow a person to choose ahead of time the criteria they want used to access MAID. For example in cases of dementia, at this time they are not able to give final consent so languish away in a care bed.
We are working hard to get Advanced Consent added.

Sounds good.

it takes 2 drs and a social worker to section someone for the longer sections of the mental health act, the social worker is there to check people's civil rights, you need the same for someone to be considered for assisted dying, to ensure people aren't being persuaded to choose death, or that they don't feel guilty for causing others care for them etc. and that is guiding their decision. The issue of mental capacity is not straightforward, there are many grey areas which need to be dealt with in this decision by someone professional, outside the family and with skills to speak to all concerned in this decision or there will be opportunity for foul play. Once this is in place, I support assisted dying.

Love

I do understand this - it is so very very hard. Sending a hand hold.

rocketship

I'm a Canadian. We have had assistance in dying for quite a while now, and it was a huge blessing for many many folks.

The process for those applying for MAID [Medical Assistance In Dying] is rigorous and well monitored.

The person applying must be mentally competent and be able to give final consent at the time the procedure is done.

** I am a strong advocate of 'Advanced Consent' which would allow a person to choose ahead of time the criteria they want used to access MAID. For example in cases of dementia, at this time they are not able to give final consent so languish away in a care bed.
We are working hard to get Advanced Consent added.

Do you have a view on reports in the UK that people in Canada are being encouraged to choose MAID as they are poor/homeless/disabled? Apparently there was crowd funding for a man who had already got one doctors signature for his death and who said he didn't want to die but it was better than homelessness, I think he was called Amir Farsoud. I believe he is still alive.

I think this is the sort of slippery slope that worries many people. It seems unbelievable to me that in a rich western country people might feel they are too poor to live.

Smileless2012

I hope the majority vote in favour.

Me too.
I witnessed enough with my mum and brother.
I don't want my adult children doing and seeing the same with me.

* sick of Esther Rantzen popping up on tv every five minutes*!

GrannyGravy13

Excellent end of life care should be routinely accessible to all.

I have concerns around coercion.

Me, too. It would only be a matter of time until terminally ill people would be told how the cost of their treatment was taking money away from treatment of others etc. And you only have to look at what is going on in Canada and Holland to see how the 'innocent' sounding initial law has morphed into something quite different. People with terrible depression are allowed to decide to be 'helped' to die instead of being treated properly to help them live. And if you think of how much abortion law has changed from what it was to what it is now, you will see the dangers for yourselves....It's an absolute minefield!

I can understand many of the reasons that this has been supported by a lot of people, and I do think that there is a great danger of persuasion/coercion; Well - not just danger - more of a certainty.

However, what I fear most is my own self coercion. I absolutely hate asking people for help, and hate feeling that I'm being a bit of a burden, to the extent that I'm certain that , if I was relying more and more on family and friends when inconvenient,, I would choose to die, and pretend that it was what I wanted.
In fact that maybe true when the time comes... but what if it isn't?

It is about time a choice for human suffering. I hope it gets past.

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I found this very, very moving..

That’s the way it should be allowing the person to die with dignity

In cases of dementia, when will people opt to die? As soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, or a little later, or leave it too late and you'll not be capable of informed consent.
If you agree there has to be the option to "change your mind" right up until the last second, then an advance directive for dementia isn't possible as it eliminates that safeguard.

If you've dementia, then there comes a time when you'll not have capacity, although people can have capacity in some things, but not others.

If you have full capacity, right until the end, though, well...

Like some others I'm a member of Dignity in Dying and have had relatives use MAID in Canada. Most Canadians think it works very well WITH safeguards in place. I'm all for Assisted Dying and very much hope it is law by the time I will need it. I intend to write to my MP to urge her to vote for it.

I am exited for this to come into law. I’ve been a supporter of assisted dying since I was young. My point has been that animals who are suffering can very gently be put to sleep painlessly and in a humane way. Humans however, no matter how much they are suffering, do not have this choice and can have an agonising end of life and can be left with no dignity at all . I watched the programme about a man who chose to go to Dignitas in Switzerland. It was a deeply moving film and ultimately it was not only the best outcome for the man who had no quality of life to look forward to and also for his family and friends who didn’t have the deep distress of watching the person they loved have s horrendous end to his life.
I just hope it gets into law soon so I that will have the option should I need it and be able to die at home and not have to go to another country to die.
People always mention that coercion and manipulation might happen but my response to that is if other countries can manage it are we so corrupt that we couldn’t manage it too. It’s not a valid reason and it leaves a lot of people in a horrendous state. I don’t think suffering should be obligatory!

It's a very valid reason for me.

Love - I’m so sorry 💖

Yes and to me, people with disabilities, people in abusive situations, women in particular, yes they are all valid reasons to me.

I’ve done LPA finance and health. I need to somehow discuss DNR with my GP but my daughters, joint executors, know my wishes.
We were blessed to be with their father as he gradually died over 8 days. Today would be day 5. We would be living in a tiny private cubicle/ward on the stroke unit at our centre of excellence for stroke patients. He was stage 4 cancer. The strokes hadn’t removed that pain, he needed morphine. The care of him and us was superb but by day 6 one of his much loved girls was saying enough, why can’t the doctor help him like our vet helped our dogs.
I recognise the anxiety, the need for safeguards. I trusted the team caring for my husband, his wife and children.