Yesterday the old chestnut of what we want to do if our conditions become to much to bare and we want to be assisted along the final journey. Now it seems that The Church is considering that if we are in to much pain and our conditions are going to be terminal. The lethal drip is accepted.
Over the years personally I have seen family coming to the end of their lives most with cancer and the fear of palliative care and the drugs used. In fact over the years I have always thought that medications were given and eventually, an overdose was given and the patient dies without the discussion of euthanasia, The kindness has been given. As the patient needed higher and higher doses to calm their pain. Sometimes in the past the hospital staff would approach a family member as the patient was frightened of Opiates. They were given the job of changing the patients mind. The patient in my cases died within twelve hours.
In the past the hospital would phone early in the morning regarding the dying family member telling them death is near, then twenty, thirty mins later a further call to say the patient has died, this happened to me twice as a teenager. So my personal feelings then was that Euthanasia was practiced, although in a more subtle form.
Cut to the chase how do our group feel regarding euthanasia. My worries are family members trying to push the patient to make this decision, it was bad enough for me when eighteen talking to both my Grandparents to take Opiates to control there pain and their timely death within twelve and twenty four hours respectively. After that I was always there to do that deed and that even extended to my Mother and Law death. I thought I was the Angel of death until quite recently with my Aunt with Dementia. Family members can even now be pushed to talk to those who are on their last journey. That is why I always feel that certain family members can be pushed to to approach that family member, who in their own way are forced to partake in that final drip
Personally I now feel that if this new law is brought in the medical staff should always be positive that no pressure has been put on family members or the patient. As the life belongs to the patient and no one else
Until any of us have to face with this situation it is almost impossible to say how we feel or what we would do.
My Mum, now aged 91, has long had a 'living' will whereby she does not want resussitation of she has a stroke or similar. Palliative care is acceptable.
Just 3 months ago she was diagnosed with 2 incurable diseases and has been going downhill rapidly. Under the proposed new bill she would have been offered euthanasia. Instead the consultants have been kindness itself and offered her non invasive help. Not one of the consultants not GPs made any reference ro her age. To my mind that's how it should be.
All life is precious but of course any choice would be hers - not mine.
Sadly elderly parent are made to feel a burden - particularly a sick one. It is the same with disabled people. They are made to feel a burden. Politicians tell us they can not afford us - how does that make us feel?
There was even one who wanted to abort those unborn babies who were foind to have a disability. Disgusting.
Like abortion, euthanasia is an emotive subject and will never be resolved.
All I can say is how glad i still have my Mum here and we can still laugh as we used to when I was a wee girl. That to me is worth living for.
I agree that often a dose of opiates is given that is the right dose to control the pain and often results in death, speeding the end by hours and as a kindness. My daughter, a nurse, has confirmed this.
This attempt to bring in euthanasia is different, they are trying to bring it in on the back of emotive images of people with degenerative conditions playing on young healthy people's fear of death and fear of being helpless. Sadly with the far right being so influential this will not stop at compassion for a tiny number of people. Once the government withdraws care services and home nursing, once disabled people are left hungry dirty and alone we will all feel that suicide is the only option. They will try to remove the stigma of suicide by making it clinical and your duty and will save the nhs and welfare budgets a fortune.
This policy is the equivalent of Hitler gas chambers for sick and disabled people. It won't affect the rich they will be able to pay for care but for the rest of us, as there are less sick and disabled people there will be less available, less housing, less adaptations to make places accessible, less hospital beds etc
Don't let your fear of death and dying allow them to euthanase all of societies weakest members. This is a plan to save money not to make us have better deaths.
Dr Shipman put a stop to the use or morphia to hasten death. This was a tragic backlash.
Personally, I want the choice. We are all going to tread the path and I would like to go with dignity. But what if dementia clouds the issue? I don't think a "Best Interest" type assessment will do in these cases.
I agree that the far right in politics might get carried away on this. Older people are already being demonized for having pensions and overly large houses so that struggling young folk are being made to feel resentful. Goebbels would have been proud.
I also would like to have the choice. I know what it's like to be in unbearable pain and if I am older, and my situation doesn't get better, then I would like to have the choice to go in a non-painful, non-traumatic and legal way. But of course it has to be the patient's choice. There are ways to make sure this is the case – that patients know what they are signing and are not unduly influenced by family members, etc. That is a separate issue. The important thing is to give those with endless suffering the choice to end their own suffering in a dignified way. At the moment, we don't have this right. It's interesting that we do it for animals when they are suffering and have an incurable disease, but we don't do it for humans (apart from the subtle way of offering more morphine). Why the compassion for animals, but not for humans? I know human life is meant to be 'sacred' but surely we should let each human decide for her or himself?
Hello Bob, god you have been put through the ringer in your life...If it makes you feel better I did a short stint in Aged Care and "most" residents are truly ready to go home. The only way you can truly be sure that "no one is pushing/suggesting an outcome" is through a document called a Living Will. This is made when one is in good physical and mental health and it has very clear and explicit "wishes/instructions" on what to do "if". This is a Legal document in Australia, surely the UK has something similar. I suppose what I'm trying to say is "if a soul wants to go home, it will". Bullying does exist at any age, so I presume your suspicions would be correct. Bob I've seen some truly weird outcomes, (and I'm not the only one) people who should be dead - with what drugs they were given - live on (ok made me beleive miracles do sometimes happen) and people not much more of a drug given and they pass on soo quickly. I can only imagine the terror this subject brings up in you but rest assured I've not ever seen it happen, I was 24/7 in 2 different facilities.
I do not think a Living Will, which is a good idea generally, will help if a competent person becomes demented. I cannot imagine any attempt to end the life of someone who does not know what is happening to them.
I find it difficult to discuss the topic of Euthanasia, however I do have a living will which covers me in the event of loss of physical faculties or mental faculties for palliative care to be given and not prolong my life. There is a massive difference between assisted suicide and assisting some one to die who no longer has any quality of life, in the most dignified manner possible. The choice should always be the patients and no family ought to be obliged to make this decision at such a traumatic time. Maybe we should come up with a form that allows everyone to note down their wishes in the event of serious compromisation of their health, as some people would want everything possible done to save their life while others just palliative care. I believe opiates at the end can speed up a death due to their ability to slow the breathing down, but are given as general pain controllers in palliative care.
I think it is up to the person with the unbearable condition to make the decision. No family member should be asked to to get this person to comply with the medics.
It is maybe something that should be explored earlier on in the patient's treatment plan, and recorded and signed by them. And reviewed each year, so that the person has full control, and is in it's true context. Afterall, most of us at one time or another have found ourselves wishing we were dead to escape the pain. If asked during tjis thought pattern would elicit a different respoinse to a day where the pain was light and the mood happy.
We are quick to put animals down if they are beyond saving. The only difference with humans is, that we have our own voice. What might be intolerable for one person, another can cope with well. You just need to read about the different stories on here, who would you give an untimely death to? It's not that easy.
Then there are implications of fowl play - get the old person out their house so it could be sold, or other inheritance issues. It could get messy if one family member is keen and the hospital goes ahead, while other family members are against it.
Having been on both sides of the hospital bed, there is no right or wrong, every situation is different, but what would be wrong, is for this to become the norm, and those not wishing to go that route have to fight their case to live!
I am currently in severe pain, only endurable because of the high doses of pain killers I take. I am able to manage my life, live, after a fashion, and do some things which are pleasurable to me. I have a life, and I live it independently. I have two illnesses, both of which increase my risk of stroke, and this feels real and imminent to me.
If I had a stroke, I would probably lose some of my abilities. If I can't tell the nurses that my pain is worse, how can they deal with my medication? If I can't manage my life, who will? If I can not do things that bring me pleasure, even fleetingly, what is the purpose of keeping me alive? I have no wish to be "looked after", and I never have done. If the time comes that I have notice of the loss of that which I hold most dear, I will be off on a Plane to Switzerland, like a shot.
BUT what about that stroke. It won't arrive after a phone call, to give me notice. I may end up on a hospital ward, while arrangements are made to place me somewhere that I will be "cared for". I do not doubt that my most basic needs will be met, but what about my need to be ME? If I am forced to be dependent, that is something that will make me miserable. If I cannot have the life that I have carved out for myself, I'd rather not play this game any longer.
If I was able to leave a binding instruction that would ensure that this situation could not happen, I would do so. Happily. Joyfully, With a real sense of Relief. At present, I fear a stroke. I am unable to think that it might be something that I might be able to overcome, because the horror of what lies ahead if I can't is overwhelming. I may decide that I can no longer live with this fear, and take action while I still can, because I fear that my ability to be able to do so after a stroke may disappear. I may end up dying long before it becomes necessary, because I am denied the Right to Die if the unacceptable occurs
If I had a 100% confidence that a stroke would kill me, I would happily carry on with no fears hanging over me. I have no such confidence. The next thing that I need is the 100%confidence that a qualified person will give me a cocktail of drugs, and I will drift off to sleep, and know no more. I have no family, no one is, or could ever be, pressuring me to say this, I am free and able to make my own mind up on this, and any other, subject.
It would be unthinkable to sentence me to life imprisonment if I had not committed a horrendous act. This is an even worse act of confinement, for me, at least. To be trapped in a body that I have no longer any wish to inhabit is an infliction of unbelievable psychological pain to me, and no opiate pain killers can relieve that pain.
In 1775, an American made a speech which ended with the words "Give me Liberty, or Give Me Death". I ask for no more, and no less. Give me the liberty to choose. No-one should be able to make the decision unless they can prove that there have been no influences which have made them make this decision. An interview with a Psychiatrist would rule this out, along with mental illnesses which are not resulting from their physical illnesses. ll the arguments that people could be forced can be countered.
Please understand. Please don't deny me choice, just because you choose not to die.
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